“All of us have in some way become accustomed to turmoil and upheaval,” Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani told the World Governments Summit audience in Dubai. The event is dedicated to shaping global policy. He added that “To say the least: War, insurrection, hardship, and economic instability have become a part of our hardwiring.”
PM Barzani highlighted the legitimacy of the Kurds’ self-determination claims, highlighting that the Kurdistan Region’s allies have acknowledged these claims while failing to contribute to them being upheld due to the pressure of “political imperatives.”
The prime minister also stressed that when collaboration among allies is in fact carried through, the results that can be achieved are monumental.
“Our collaboration as the region to defeat the scourge of ISIS was a shining example of how things can be done and how like-minded people can work together,” PM Barzani stated.
The Islamic State (ISIS) seized control of vast swathes of Iraqi and Syrian land in 2014 but was declared territorially defeated in 2017 and 2019 respectively thanks to the collaboration between Kurdish forces and the anti-ISIS global coalition. While the group lacks any territorial presence on the ground, it still continues to pose serious security risks through bombings, hit-and-run attacks, and abductions in both countries.
Regarding the ongoing regional conflict in the area, PM Barzani noted that “On the regional stage, we are paying a high price for what we stand for. The region now faces a crisis of a different nature, and we must all collectively work to safeguard regional security and stability."
In mid-January, Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked with ballistic missiles a residence in Kurdistan Region’s capital of Erbil, under the pretext of targeting a “spy headquarters” belonging to Israel’s Mossad Intelligence. The target in question was the residence home of Kurdish businessman Peshraw Dizayee, who died in the attack along with his daughter Zhina and two others.
“We have been unjustifiably targeted. This aggression must end," PM Barzani said, referring to attacks that have targeted the Kurdistan Region, adding that “Kurdistan has never been a threat to anyone in the region.”
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