Over the past two months, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani has undertaken a flurry of diplomatic trips abroad, engaging in high-level meetings in Abu Dhabi, Amman, Antalya, Baghdad, Tehran, and Paris, underscoring the Kurdistan Region’s growing role in regional diplomacy. These meetings focused on bilateral relations, regional trade, the situation in Syria, and broader efforts toward peace.
UAE investment
On April 8, the Kurdish President visited the Annual Investment Meeting in Abu Dhabi, as part of his official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
During his visit, he met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other senior officials. “We discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation between the UAE, Iraq, and the Kurdistan Region, as well as unfolding regional developments,” he posted on X after the meeting.
The Kurdistan Region also hosted a pavilion at the event to promote the region’s flourishing ties with the UAE. The current trade volume between the UAE and Iraq stands at approximately $30 billion, and the Kurdistan Region over the past years has been exporting agricultural products to the Gulf, including the UAE.
“I can affirm that the UAE is earnestly and genuinely seeking investment opportunities within the Kurdistan Region. In this regard, they are in the process of appointing a dedicated special envoy for investment in the Kurdistan Region, marking a significant advancement,” Kurdistan Region President told reporters during his visit.
Antalya Forum
On April 11, the President of the Kurdistan Region traveled to Turkiye to participate in the fourth Antalya Diplomacy Forum, where he met with several top officials from the EU, Russia, Bulgaria, and Turkiye, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
During his meeting with President Erdogan, the two leaders discussed the importance of Turkiye’s relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. Turkiye over the years has strongly invested in energy, construction, and health in the Kurdistan Region and enjoys strong ties to the Kurdish political leadership. According to the Kurdistan Region Presidency, both also expressed a “mutual desire to expand joint cooperation.”
Additionally, the Kurdish and Turkish leaders discussed the ongoing peace process in Turkiye between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Turkish government.
On February 27, the imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan made a call for the PKK to disarm. The Iraqi Kurdish leadership has supported this process from the beginning, as it has for previous other peace initiatives. On May 12, the PKK announced during its congress a decision to disband and disarm, marking a significant shift in the decades-long conflict with Turkiye.
“I emphasized that this historic opportunity must be seized, and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) must respond positively to Mr. Ocalan’s call,” Barzani said after meeting with the Turkish President.
France
Shortly after, on April 14, Kurdistan Region President was welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris. “It was a great privilege to be at the Elysee today to meet my dear friend, President Emmanuel Macron. Our relationship with France is very special and continues to grow stronger,” the Kurdish leader said in a statement following the meeting.
Furthermore, both presidents emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability in Iraq to help shield the country from regional unrest.
France maintains strong political, cultural, and economic ties with the Kurdistan Region, with a Consulate in Erbil, a French institute, and several French schools. The Kurdish and French presidents have met several times, both in France and in the Kurdistan Region. Peshmerga Park is set to open soon in Paris. Additionally, on May 26, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) officials took part in a business forum in France focused on Iraq.
On April 23, Kurdistan Region President welcomed French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot in Erbil, where they discussed the longstanding friendship and historical ties between France and the Kurdistan Region.
Jordan
On April 27, Barzani made an official visit to Jordan and met with the Jordanian King Abdullah II to discuss enhancing bilateral relations between Jordan and the Kurdistan Region in political, economic, and security fields.
Jordan has strong business and diplomatic relations with the Kurdistan Region and opened its consulate in Erbil in 2011. On May 5, a Jordanian government delegation visited the Kurdistan Region to further boost academic and tourism ties.
“I thanked HM and the people of the Kingdom of Jordan for their warm welcome, gracious hospitality, and continued support for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region,” the Kurdish leader wrote on X after the meeting. “We deeply value the strong and historic ties between Jordan, Iraq, and the Kurdistan Region and remain committed to further strengthening our relations.”
The Royal Hashemite Court said in a post on X that the meeting covered the deep-rooted ties between Jordan and Iraq, as well as “ways to enhance cooperation with the Kurdistan Region in various sectors.”
Arab League Summit
On May 17, the President of the Kurdistan Region visited Baghdad to attend the 34th Arab League Summit, where he met with the Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani and several high-ranking leaders and officials from Arab nations.
On the sidelines of the Forum, Barzani expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister al-Sudani for hosting the summit. He also emphasized the importance of fostering stronger ties between Erbil and Baghdad, as well as enhanced cooperation and mutual understanding.
Tehran Dialogue Forum
Shortly after, Barzani traveled to Iran on May 18, 2025, to attend the Tehran Dialogue Forum. “Our relations in the region with Iran are historic. There are deep-rooted cultural, historic, and linguistic ties. We are neighbors,” he said at the event.
“Approximately 60% of the trade between Iran and Iraq flows through the Kurdistan Region. We have very strong economic relations, and they’re improving daily.“
During the visit, he met with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, where the Kurdish leader emphasized the Kurdistan Region’s commitment to fostering good neighborly relations.
In March 2023, Iraq and the KRG signed an agreement to secure the border with Iran and remove Iranian Kurdish opposition forces to prevent attacks from Iraqi territory.
Both sides stress the importance of maintaining stability, resolving conflicts peacefully, amid ongoing U.S.-Iran discussions and the peace process in Turkiye.
During the forum, Barzani also criticized Baghdad for failing to implement federalism and emphasized that there is a need for serious dialogue between Erbil and Baghdad on the issue of federalism. “If they (Baghdad) properly implement the Iraqi constitution by definition, the issues between the Kurdistan Region and Iraq will be resolved,” he added.
Regional diplomacy
The Kurdistan Region President’s recent diplomatic engagements, spanning forums and officials visits from Abu Dhabi to Paris, and from Amman to Tehran, show the Kurdistan Region Presidency’s strong role in regional diplomacy.
“Collaborative efforts between the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, as well as with neighboring nations, present a significant opportunity to address challenges and achieve peace through diplomacy and dialogue,” Barzani pointed out on April 16 during the Sulaimani Forum.
The visits by the Kurdistan Region President underscore the Kurdistan Region’s goals of fostering peace with its neighbors, expanding trade with Gulf countries, and strengthening its role in regional cooperation.
“Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani’s diplomacy demonstrates the KRG’s grasp of the shifting geopolitical circumstances in the region and the need to adapt to the emerging conditions,” Mohammed A. Salih, a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Philadelphia-based Foreign Policy Research Institute and expert on Kurdish and regional affairs, told Kurdistan Chronicle.
“In this regard, strengthening relations with friends and neighbors is important to ensure that Kurdistan remains out of any conflict that might surface in the future. The visits and the high-level receptions across a variety of regional capitals and Paris show that Kurdistan is being received as a de-facto state and carries weight far greater than an autonomous region within a federal state.”
