In November, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) hosted the Middle East Peace and Security 2023 (MEPS 2023) Forum, allowing a gathering of global and national leaders, academics, members of influential think tanks, and influential scholars to engage in extensive discussions on the critical challenges facing the Middle East and North Africa. With over 800 high-level experts in attendance, MEPS 2023 featured keynote and plenary speakers such as KRG President Nechirvan Barzani, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, in addition to panels on specific topics and challenges including climate change. Additional panel discussions on the topic of climate change at MEPS 2023 fostered a more comprehensive exploration of potential strategies and initiatives for what is a truly global challenge

In his speech, Prime Minister Barzani also emphasized the pressing challenge of climate change, urging global leaders to unite in a collective commitment towards finding viable solutions. Furthermore, during an interview with Maryam Moshiri, Chief Presenter at the BBC, Prime Minister Barzani addressed the topic of historical conflicts in the region and expressed his concerns about its current ones, highlighting the weariness of the region’s people to ongoing wars and voicing hope for the establishment of peaceful solutions. While focus is directed elsewhere, most notably Gaza, he underscored the importance of not overlooking the difficulties faced by the Kurdish people, drawing parallels between the global support for the two-state solution in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the aspirations of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq, most notably that the Iraqi government in Baghdad honor its responsibilities as laid out in the country’s constitution.

Key among these concerns are the unresolved issues between Erbil and Baghdad over energy, disputed territories, and Kurdistan’s share of the national revenue. Many panelists shared their concerns about the biased position taken by the Iraqi Supreme Court and how such actions could derail Iraq’s progress, leading to more chaos and instability in the country.

Additionally, the forum highlighted the importance of the relationship between the United States and the Kurdistan Region in promoting stability, not only within Iraq but across the broader regional landscape. Several panelists discussed the evolving priorities of the United States in the Middle East, which are raising concerns among the Kurds, who have traditionally held a pro-U.S. stance. The potential vulnerability of the Kurds in a region steeped in anti-U.S. sentiment, which stems from the history of U.S. involvement in the Middle East, was highlighted as an additional point of concern. Due to its strategic importance in the Middle East, the stability of the KRI is integral to regional security. The United States thus has a vested interest in safeguarding the Kurdish people, who have consistently proven to be steadfast allies in a tumultuous region. 

Readers of this issue of Kurdistan Chronicle can look forward to a special report on the MEPS 2023 Forum, highlighting KRG Prime Minister Barzani’s interview and former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s speech. Both discussions centered on the pivotal role of the Kurdistan Region in ensuring regional security and stability, emphasizing the imperative for the world not to take for granted the importance of the Kurds and Kurdistan in this regard.

Dr. Nahro Zagros is the Editor-in-Chief of Kurdistan Chronicle and a Senior Fellow at Gold Institute for International Strategy in Washington, D.C.