KRG Envoy Takes Part at Economic Forum in Poland

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KRG Envoy Takes Part at Economic Forum in Poland

10/09/2019

ERBIL — Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Representative to Poland, Ziyad Raoof, participated in 29th edition of the Economic Forum in Krynica, Poland. 

The event is one of the biggest political and economic conferences in East-Central Europe attended by around 4000 guests- prime ministers, ministers, politicians, business leaders, economists, diplomats, journalists, representatives of regional journalists.

Raoof was a speaker at discussion panels and attended a series of meetings focusing on the situation in the Middle East, he presented KRG’s stance on the current affairs in Kurdistan Region, Iraq and Middle East. 

At the beginning of the Forum the KRG Envoy met with Witold Kozłowski- Marshal of the Malopolska Region. The Kurdish diplomat discussed with the Marshal possibility of continuing humanitarian support for refugees in Kurdistan, as well as strengthening academic and cultural cooperation. 

Raoof also asked Marshal Witold Kozlowski to encourage entrepreneurs from Malopolska to join trade mission to Kurdistan this Autumn, organized by Polish National Chamber of Commerce and KRG Representation in Poland. 

In that meeting also took part Archbishop of Erbil Bashar Warda. Archbishop was one of the guest of the Forum, participating in discussion panel and meetings. He talked about situation of Christians in the Middle East and Kurdistan Region and asked for support for refugees. During the Forum Bashar Warda expressed satisfaction with the status of cooperation between Catholic University in Erbil (established with KRG support) and Catholic Universities in Poland. He also asked for scholarship programme for talented students from Kurdistan Region.

During the Economic Forum Ziyad Raoof took part as a speaker in two interesting discussion panels. First of them was entitled “will the world order turn into global chaos?”. KRG Representative focused on the situation in the Middle East .

 He warned that this part of the world might turn into chaos due to rivalry of superpowers and unfair order established more than 100 year ago by European colonial empires which ignored the will of many nations, including Kurds. Ziyad Raoof stressed that Kurds never got over with this order end expression of this was for example independence referendum in 2017.

 Ziyad Raoof noticed that this referendum was misinterpreted by international community. Kurdistan Region is not source of chaos, but the factor stabilizing Middle East, for example Peshmerga successfully halted ISIS, and Kurdistan Region gave shelter to 1 800 000 refugees.

The second discussion panel with presence of Ziyad Raoof was: “Southern Caucasus as an Area of Rivalry of Superpowers. What can EU and Poland do about it?”. In that panel Ziyad Raoof emphasized that Kurdistan Region is conducting policy of balance, striving to maintain good relation with all superpowers. 

During the Economic Forum Ziyad Raoof had also backstage meeting with members of Polish parliament, members of European Parliament, representatives of regional authorities, diplomats, entrepreneurs and representatives of economic circles. 

http://www.basnews.com/index.php/en/news/kurdistan/545455