Martin Manna to Kurdistan24: PM Barzani’s Washington Visit Signals Strong Alignment with U.S. Interests

By Ahora Qadi

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In a wide-ranging interview with Kurdistan24, Martin Manna, President of the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce, praised Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s visit to Washington as “likely already a successful visit,” underscoring that the visit smartly emphasized shared interests with the U.S., including energy freedom, religious liberty, and economic cooperation.

“I think it was clear from everything we were reading that the prime minister's visit was really going to be focused on many of the things that the U.S. government has been focused on — doing business, bilateral relations, how to strengthen ties between Kurdistan and the United States government,” Manna said. “So I could say with certainty, just from what I've been reading, this has likely already been a successful visit for Prime Minister Barzani.”

Kurdistan’s Diversity, Security, and Strategic Relevance

Manna highlighted the Kurdistan Region’s unique status as a safe haven and symbol of religious coexistence. “Kurdistan is very unique because of its diversity. As you know, I am a Chaldean, and the majority of the Christian community in Iraq is still in the Kurdistan Region,” he said.

He added, “Initially, it was a safe haven because of what took place with Daesh. Many of our community members fled the Nineveh Plain. They went to Erbil and other parts of Kurdistan, and we have a large presence in Ankawa, in Slemani and many other parts in Duhok.”

Strengthening Christian Presence and Representation

Emphasizing the need for economic and religious freedom, Manna called for structural reforms to encourage Christians to remain in their homeland. “They need economic freedom. They need religious freedom. And those things can be accomplished through Kurdistan, through the right structure of the new government and who's going to be in those places to ensure that our people wanna stay rather than migrating out of the country.”

He stressed the need for political inclusion and fair representation: “If you want to get a community that works for its people, for its homeland, for Kurdistan, it's best to try to implement many of the recommendations we made to ensure that the Christians wanna stay there, that they have equal opportunity, and that they also are going to be part of the new political process that's being established.”

U.S.-Kurdistan Ties: “You Guys Do a Much Better Job Than Baghdad”

Manna praised Kurdistan’s diplomatic effectiveness in Washington: “You're aligned with U.S. interests, that you also are a beacon of hope for minorities. You're a protector of all religious rights, including those that are Christian... I would tell you, and I've told this even to the Iraqi central government, that you guys do a much better job in advocacy than even the Iraqi central government does in Baghdad.”

He noted the strategic economic role of the Chaldean community in the U.S.: “This is the largest Iraqi American community in the world. We number some 200,000 just in the state of Michigan. We contribute $18,000,000,000 annually to the Michigan economy.”

Manna also underscored the symbolic significance of sister-city agreements. “We created a sister state between Ankawa and Sterling Heights, Michigan, where we have a very large population,” he said, calling such initiatives “opportunities if we could figure out a way to solve some of the major long-term issues that are impacting the Chaldean, Assyrian, Syriac communities.”

Security, Advocacy, and Long-Term Strategy

Security remains a foremost concern, Manna noted. “Many of the conversations we have, the first and foremost item that comes up in every conversation when you're dealing with Iraq is security… But as you could see, it's a new world order today with this new administration. This president has been focused on creating peace through strength, and, hopefully, they see a willing partner in Kurdistan.”

He highlighted the success of ongoing public diplomacy. “We were just there in February. We had a chance to meet with His Excellency President Masoud Barzani. We also met with President Nechirvan Barzani and many other members of the government. But just that short visit, was one in which now we've had at least a couple thousand members of our community from Michigan go and visit Kurdistan in the last couple months.”

Addressing Core Issues: Disputed Territories and Political Inclusion

Calling for resolution of critical issues, Manna stressed: “How do we resolve disputed territories? How do we reduce infractions as it pertains to intimidation, harassment of the minority populations? How to become more inclusive so Christians are a bigger part of the government?”

He reiterated the importance of language, culture, and identity: “The last part of this is really trying to figure out how we as Christians can continue to maintain our language, our culture, our identity. That preservation is very important to us.”

“Once Chaldeans have left Iraq or Kurdistan, they excel,” he added. “When given religious and economic freedom, the community has excelled. It would be best, I think, for us to continue to address our issues… If we can address those things, I think you'll see an outpouring of support.”

Final Thoughts: “Now is the Best Time for Engagement”

Reflecting on the current political climate, Manna concluded: “This is probably the best of times or it could be the best of time for the Kurdistan Regional Government should it really choose to be more engaged and supportive of the mission of this administration, this president, and many of its representatives.”

“Our advocacy in the region is not going to end,” he affirmed, “Our focus has really been on how could we help the remaining Christians stay in their ancestral lands… That's really been our focus and our goal.”