President Barzani meets Bulgaria’s Radev in Turkey

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Saturday met with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on the sidelines of a diplomatic forum in Turkey, discussing mechanisms to develop bilateral relations between Erbil and Sofia.

Barzani arrived in Turkey’s southwestern province of Antalya on Thursday to attend the third Antalya Diplomatic Forum (ADF). The three-day event hosts “heads of states and governments, ministers, diplomats, business leaders, academics, think-tankers, and youth and media representatives for an all-encompassing debate,” the conference website reads. 

“The meeting focused on the development of relations between Bulgaria and Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in the fields of economy, trade, culture, sports, tourism, and agriculture, as well as discussed opportunities for further cooperation,” said a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency. 

During the meeting, Barzani called on Radev to increase Bulgaria’s diplomatic representation in the Kurdistan Region. 

President Barzani “stressed that the Kurdistan Region attaches great importance to its relations with friendly countries in Europe. He also expressed the Kurdistan Region’s desire to expand cooperation with Bulgaria as a friendly country,” the statement said. 



The theme of the third edition of the ADF is “Advancing Diplomacy in Times of Turmoil.” 

On Friday, Barzani met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the forum, discussing Erbil-Ankara economy and trade cooperation, as well as the political and security situation in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.