PM Barzani to CNN: We Plan to Diversify our Economy

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In an exclusive interview with CNN released on Tuesday, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani stated that the Kurdistan Region plans to diversify its economy.

“Actually, it’s our plan to diversify our economy — to make sure that we have different sources of revenue and do not rely solely on oil. We’ve looked at how we can invest in agriculture, industrialize Kurdistan, and promote tourism,” Prime Minister Barzani told CNN.

Regarding the Kurdistan Region’s entity within Iraq, the Prime Minister stated that it has better conditions than Iraq. “We definitely have better conditions. We have better security, we have better infrastructure — and maybe we started a little earlier than the rest of Iraq. We’re heavily focused on making sure that we tackle corruption.”

He also added that “We make sure that things are done in the right way, and that’s why I believe Kurdistan is in a better place. But that doesn’t mean Kurdistan cannot be a gateway for the rest of Iraq. So, whoever wants to come and invest in Kurdistan will have an opportunity to look at the rest of Iraq.”

Concerning the number of foreign investments in the Kurdistan Region, Barzani revealed that there are not too many foreign investors in the region. “Unfortunately, we don’t have many foreign investments coming in, and that’s the reason why we’re changing the investment law to be more attractive to foreign investors.”