MERI Forum 2023 begins in Erbil

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Middle East Research Institute (MERI) on Tuesday inaugurated its 2023 forum in the Kurdistan Region’s capital Erbil, where tens of local and international academics, policymakers, politicians, and local officials discuss the most pressing issues in Iraq and its semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

The main theme of this year’s forum is “Addressing Iraq’s Immediate Priorities”, on which at least seven sessions are set to be held on the first day of the forum to address the topics.

The two-day high-profile gathering is also set to host several foreign diplomats in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq along with Iraqi and the Region’s top officials to discuss the country’s engagement.   

"Such forums provide an important platform for interactions and influencing policy-making," Dlawer Ala'Aldeen, president of MERI, said in his opening remarks on Tuesday morning. 

The academic and former Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) highlighted the political dynamics in the country and the Middle East, including the ongoing Israeli-Hamas conflicts in the Gaza Strip. 

Iraq still struggles with "institutional gaps" that have considerably contributed to the ongoing political issues, particularly with the pubic confidence in governance. 

MERI is an Erbil-based research institute that focuses on policy issues in Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and the Middle East.