Kurdistan forum dives into complex regional issues By RUDAW 1 hour ago
3/11/15
SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — A region in turmoil, the advent of new realities and oil were the day’s hot topics at a prestigious two-day forum that kicked off Wednesday in the Kurdistan Region’s cultural hub.
The third annual forum, the signature event of the American University of Iraq – Sulaimani, was opened by Barham Salih, former prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
In his keynote address, the Iraqi foreign minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari pointed out that the region -- including Iraq and other countries -- was for centuries known for ethnic and religious diversity.
The day’s schedule of timely panel discussions began with “New Realities in Iraq,” featuring Iraqi Parliament Speaker Salim al Jibbouri and his KRG counterpart Yousif Muhammed Sadiq.
Another member of the panel, Hussein al-Shahrastani, Iraq’s minister of higher education and the former oil minister, pointed to the threat of Islamic State, or ISIS.
“ISIS has launched a brutal attack on Iraq. It attacks our history and civilization. It threatens our values and the security of the whole world,” Shahrastani said.
“We need political trust to complete the political process,” he added, referring to the problems plaguing Iraq.
The day’s second panel aims to provide regional and international perspectives on the current state of the “Fertile Crescent,” a term for ancient Mesopotamia and referring to the broader Middle East.
The final discussion was set to focus on oil, energy policy and the potential for a financial crisis. The panel was scheduled to include Iraqi Oil Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi, the country’s finance minister and US Ambassador to Iraq Stuart Jones
In his opening remarks, Salih noted that today, March 11, marked the 45th anniversary of the autonomy agreement brokered by the Kurdish provinces and the Baghdad government of Saddam Hussein -- a pact broken a year later by the former Iraqi dictator.
Salih also warned that if the battle against ISIS was not dealt with “seriously” the problem would only fester and continue to haunt the Middle East and the world.
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3/11/15
SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — A region in turmoil, the advent of new realities and oil were the day’s hot topics at a prestigious two-day forum that kicked off Wednesday in the Kurdistan Region’s cultural hub.
The third annual forum, the signature event of the American University of Iraq – Sulaimani, was opened by Barham Salih, former prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
In his keynote address, the Iraqi foreign minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari pointed out that the region -- including Iraq and other countries -- was for centuries known for ethnic and religious diversity.
The day’s schedule of timely panel discussions began with “New Realities in Iraq,” featuring Iraqi Parliament Speaker Salim al Jibbouri and his KRG counterpart Yousif Muhammed Sadiq.
Another member of the panel, Hussein al-Shahrastani, Iraq’s minister of higher education and the former oil minister, pointed to the threat of Islamic State, or ISIS.
“ISIS has launched a brutal attack on Iraq. It attacks our history and civilization. It threatens our values and the security of the whole world,” Shahrastani said.
“We need political trust to complete the political process,” he added, referring to the problems plaguing Iraq.
The day’s second panel aims to provide regional and international perspectives on the current state of the “Fertile Crescent,” a term for ancient Mesopotamia and referring to the broader Middle East.
The final discussion was set to focus on oil, energy policy and the potential for a financial crisis. The panel was scheduled to include Iraqi Oil Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi, the country’s finance minister and US Ambassador to Iraq Stuart Jones
In his opening remarks, Salih noted that today, March 11, marked the 45th anniversary of the autonomy agreement brokered by the Kurdish provinces and the Baghdad government of Saddam Hussein -- a pact broken a year later by the former Iraqi dictator.
Salih also warned that if the battle against ISIS was not dealt with “seriously” the problem would only fester and continue to haunt the Middle East and the world.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]