Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain – (KRG.org) – Minister Falah Mustafa, Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, yesterday addressed diplomats, government officials and academics at the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB), a leading Spanish think tank in the capital of the Catalonia Region. The visit to Barcelona is part of the minister's tour of Europe which has so far included Brussels.

This the first time that a Kurdistan Regional Government official has spoken at the CIDOB. The discussion was titled ‘A Changing Middle East: Views from Iraqi Kurdistan’ and the Minister was accompanied by the KRG Representative to Spain, Daban Shadal‎.

The Minister began by briefly introducing the history of the Kurdish people prior to the fall of the Baathist regime in 2003. He went on to talk about the achievements of the region in the past decade and the many challenges that remain.

Minister Mustafa described the impact of the Arab Spring on the whole Middle East and in particular the Kurdistan Region, which neighbours Syria and has given shelter to about 250,000 refugees from there.

Minister Mustafa said there is no military solution to the conflict in Syria and that the KRG supports the rights of Syria’s Kurds. The KRG has encouraged them to unite under one umbrella so that they can ensure their rights and demands are met in a new Syria. The Minister added that this conflict and others are part of a wider regional power struggle.

The Minister said that Kurdistan's security and stability has resulted in refugees fleeing there, not only from Syria but also from other parts of Iraq where both Christians and Arabs have faced violence.

He touched on Kurdistan's internal political and economic developments, as well as aspects of the social and cultural elements of life in the region.

Minister Mustafa spoke about relations with Kurdistan’s neighbors, highlighting the progress that has been made in relations with Turkey. He said, ‘Now we see Turkey openly discussing the Kurdish issue and President Barzani’s recent historic visit to Diyarbakir, where he spoke in Kurdish with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, was evidence of how far our relationship has come.’

Discussing KRG relations with Baghdad, the Minister said, 'The upcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections on April 30th will be a turning point and very important and critical for us.’ He said that the disputes between Erbil and Baghdad cover a range of issues that need to be resolved for the sake of all Iraqis.

Minister Mustafa concluded the seminar with the current economic climate in Kurdistan. He said, 'The Kurdistan Region has been able to attract $37 billion worth of investments, 2,600 foreign companies are active in Kurdistan and economic indicators keep improving because we have worked not only on the political process but also on economic, social and cultural aspects in order to provide a prosperous future for our people.'