Kurdistan Regional Government

KRG Representative in Poland gave a speech at the International Asian Congress

On May 19, the opening panel of the International Asian Congress was held. KRG Representative in Poland Ziyad Raoof was one of the panelist along with important guests: deputy marshal of Kujawsko-Pomorskie voivodeship, president of the city Toruń, representatives of Polish ministry of foreign affairs and ministry of science and education and diplomatic corps: ambassadors of Thailand, Malaysia, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Azerbaijan, and Indonesia, first secretary of Iraqi Embassy, consuls of India, Kazakhstan and Palestine. Among representatives of diplomatic corps ambassador of Thailand- honorary guest of this edition- took the floor as first.

Ziyad Raoof started his speech with reflection that despite the fact that attention of international community is focused on Ukraine, situation in Asia, particularly in Middle East, is very dynamic too. 

The KRG representative in Poland spoke about the problems that Iraq is struggling with and which also affect the situation in Kurdistan: the paralysis of the Iraqi state administration caused by the inability to choose a new government and president for seven months, disputes with the Kurdistan Regional Government over the exploitation and sale of oil, rise of activity of ISIS, conflict in Shingal, rising food prices and climate change.

As emphasized by Ziyad Raoof, regardless of the multiplicity and scale of problems, the Kurdistan Regional Government continues to seek an agreement with the government in Baghdad, conducts an active foreign policy and implements its own program of reforms aimed at diversification of economy. Ziyad Raoof spoke about well-developing relations between Poland and Kurdistan Region. Polish and Kurdish prime ministers met twice in recent months and there is a significant strengthening of cooperation between universities from Poland and Kurdistan Region.

As always, participation in the Asian Congress is an opportunity for the KRG Representative in Poland to engage in backstage talks with representatives of Polish state and local government authorities and with ambassadors. Ziyad Raoof spoke among other with Zbigniew Ostrowski-deputy marshal of Kujawsko-Pomorskie voivodeship about Kurdish art exhibiton which will be held this autumn in museum in Bydgoszcz- the capital of the voivodeship. Marshal Ostrowski declared that he is going to be at the opening of the exhibition.