Kurdistan Region President and Dutch ambassador discuss expanding bilateral cooperation
Nechirvan Barzani and Dutch Ambassador Janet Alberda discussed enhancing Kurdistan–Netherlands cooperation, as recent economic engagement in The Hague highlighted investment, agribusiness, water technology, and development opportunities.
Erbil (Kurdistan24) – In a meeting held on Tuesday afternoon, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani received the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Baghdad, Janet Alberda, for talks centered on strengthening relations between the Kurdistan Region and the Netherlands, the Iraqi parliamentary elections, and the broader situation across the country.
According to a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency, both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to enhancing ties and exchanged views on “ways to develop joint cooperation between the Kurdistan Region and the Netherlands across various sectors and fields.” Regional developments and several matters of mutual concern constituted an additional focus of the discussion.
The meeting comes at a time when engagement between the Kurdistan Region and the Netherlands has entered a period of renewed economic and developmental momentum, particularly following the Kurdistan Regional Government’s participation in the economic forum held in The Hague on Oct. 6, 2025. The event gathered a broad range of representatives from international companies and participating states, with the Kurdistan Region’s delegation emphasizing the strengthening of economic relations and the organization of internal revenues.
During the forum, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Representative to the European Union, Dr. Delawer Azhgayi, stated that “the Kurdistan Region has expanded its international relations and comprehensively organized its financial resources.” The forum, hosted at The Hague’s Green House building and launched on Monday, Jun. 9, 2025, brought together representatives from twenty-five countries, including the Kurdistan Region, where investment opportunities—particularly in agriculture and industry—were presented to global companies.
Dr. Mohammed Shukri, Head of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Investment Board, noted during the forum’s activities that “the KRG delegation participated alongside twenty companies from various provinces of the Region in the Hague Economic Forum, and bilateral meetings will be held with several international companies as part of the forum’s agenda.”
He added that the two-day forum aims to deepen economic relations between the Kurdistan Region and the Netherlands and to open new avenues of cooperation across multiple fields.
The Investment Board further announced that the “Kurdistan–Netherlands Economic Forum established new frameworks for economic cooperation, with a strategic focus on developing agribusiness, modernizing water infrastructure, and advancing clean-energy solutions.” The Netherlands remains one of Europe’s leading countries in agricultural innovation, water technology, and food manufacturing—areas that align closely with the Kurdistan Regional Government’s developmental goals.
The Kurdistan Region intends to work with Dutch experts to introduce new agricultural products, enhance local production, and develop food-processing industries to meet domestic needs while expanding food exports abroad.
In recent years, the Kurdistan Region has consolidated its position as Iraq’s gateway and a stable environment for foreign investors. Initiatives such as simplifying investment procedures and offering incentives to international companies form part of broader reforms aimed at reinforcing long-term economic partnerships.
