President Barzani attends diplomacy forum in Antalya

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Friday arrived at the annual Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey where he is expected to hold several meetings, according to the Kurdistan Region Presidency. 

“Over the course of the three-day conference, the President will engage in a series of meetings, focusing on the discussion of international relations and the situation in the wider region,” stated the presidency. 

The three-day conference, which kicked off on Friday, 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 theme of the third edition of the event is “Advancing Diplomacy in Times of Turmoil.”

President Barzani met the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the forum. 

“The participants of the conference will delve into a wide range of topics, including war, terrorism, migration, the impact of climate change, natural disasters, and numerous other pressing issues. The discussions aim to foster a comprehensive understanding of these matters and explore potential solutions,” read the Friday statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency.

Erbil and Ankara enjoy strong economic and political ties, though there are several major issues between them.

The forum is being held nearly one year after Turkey stopped Kurdistan Region’s oil exports through its pipeline following a ruling from an arbitration court in Paris. The flow of crude oil to the international markets has yet to resume despite a series of talks between Erbil, Baghdad and Ankara. Turkey has expressed its readiness to resume the exports but the Iraqi and Kurdish governments are at odds regarding financial entitlements of the International Oil Companies (IOCs).