Sulaimani, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) - On the sidelines of the annual Sulaimani Forum, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, yesterday received Ambassador Ilya Morgunov, Russian Federation ambassador to Iraq and his accompanying delegation, which included the Russian Consul General to the Kurdistan Region and a number of Russian officials.

The two sides discussed the latest developments in the war against terrorism in Kurdistan, Iraq and Syria and the possible repercussions of the war on the entire region.

Prime Minister Barzani thanked the Russian Federation for the military aid provided very recently to the Kurdistan Region, and reiterated Kurdistan Region’s desire to develop its relations with the Russian Federation. He stressed that in order to eliminate the Islamic State terrorist organization, ISIS, the Kurdistan Region Peshmerga Forces continuously need the support of the international community.

The two sides also discussed the relations between Kurdistan Region and the Federal Government of Iraq, highlighting the outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad. In this regard, Prime Minister Barzani reiterated that the Kurdistan Region has still the desire to settle all the problems and differences through dialogue and mutual understanding.

Meantime, Prime Minister Barzani stressed that a new form of relations between Erbil and Baghdad should be found as all previous forms have failed.

On his side, the Russian ambassador expressed his satisfaction with his meeting with Prime Minister Barzani, reiterating his country's readiness to support the Kurdistan Region in the war against ISIS.

Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani participated in the opening session of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa in the Dead Sea today and later held meetings with a number of leaders from the region.

The President met with Egyptian President Abdulfatah Al-Sisi, King Abdullah of Jordan, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss political and security developments in the region, in particular confronting the threat of ISIS terrorism. 

The Egyptian President praised the leadership of President Barzani and the bravery of the peshmerga forces in fighting ISIS and expressed his country’s support to the Kurdistan Region. 

President Barzani also met with Iraq’s Speaker of the Council of Representatives Salim Al-Jibori and Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister Baha Al-Araji to discuss the latest political and security challenges facing Iraq and the fight against ISIS terrorists. They also discussed relations between Erbil and Baghdad and the need to strengthen ties between the two sides. 

As the groundwork for common and interactive cooperation of Iran and regional Arabian countries laid Nazem Dabbagh the representative of KRG of Iraq in Tehran believes that the key role of Iran in the Middle East has been uncovered to all more than ever.

Nazem Dabbagh in the talk with Name News reporter concerning the recent phrases of the secretary-general of Persian Gulf Cooperative Council of about the necessity to Iran’s attention by regional Arabian countries with aim of Iran’s taking part in drawing a regional strategies Said: the current conditions of the region as compared to the conditions of the Middle East in recent years have been highly different.

Now Tehran by itself has been able to change to a key and central actor in the region by playing a constructive and positive role in Syria and Iraq. Relating to this he added: the current conditions of the region demands that countries are allied to repel the common enemies. By standing against ISIS in initial days of this group’s strike to Iraq and before by supporting Bashar Assad Iran could prove that he has an undeniable presence in the region and that is why now Arabian countries specially after positive nuclear negotiations between Iran and the west are in a way looking for common cooperative work ground with Iran. 

The representative KRG of Iraq in Iran said as well: when the authorities of regional Arabian countries say Iran has to catch regional countries’ trust, they have to regard this that this matter is a bilateral case and means that has the regional countries has to do so.