ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The European Union's partnership with the Kurdistan Region has evolved from humanitarian assistance in the 1990s to security during the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) and now economic cooperation, the head of the bloc's delegation to Erbil told Rudaw on Wednesday.
"Nowadays, we look at the Kurdistan Region of Iraq as a developed region and a partner with which we want to increase our economic cooperation," Radu Butum told Rudaw’s Nwenar Fatih.
Butum pointed to the role of European countries in Operation Provide Comfort - a US, UK, and France-led initiative launched in April 1991 to establish a no-fly zone and deliver humanitarian aid to Kurds amid the threat of bombardment from then Ba’ath-led Iraq.
The initiative ultimately led to the establishment of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
"That was when we realized how important it was for us to be present here and contribute. That is something that has continued over time as changes and challenges differed," the EU diplomat said.
He further underscored a shift to security cooperation in 2014, when ISIS captured large swaths of northern and western Iraq. EU countries - including France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands - joined the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, conducting airstrikes, delivering military training to Kurdish forces and advancing institutional reforms in the Peshmerga ministry.
However, now the EU's policy has tilted towards expanding cooperation in economy and investment, Butum said.
"I believe the Kurdistan Region of Iraq is becoming increasingly attractive for long-term economic investment," he noted, emphasizing that “this is a very important point: it should not just be a place of temporary opportunities, but a place where people want to build long-term."
Butum additionally pointed to a project by the German Development Agency (GIZ) to fund small businesses, describing them as the "backbone of any economy," further highlighting investment opportunities in the digital, vocational, agricultural, and renewable energy sectors.
