ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Kurdistan and Russia maintain close ties as the Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani is scheduled to visit Russia this month, confirmed the Russian General Consul in Erbil. The aim of the visit is to build economic ties between Erbil and Moscow, Victor Simakov told Rudaw. Russia and the Kurdistan Region had agreements to implement several projects, but everything was put on hold when war with the Islamic State erupted. Barzani’s visit to Russia will include discussions to resume those activities, Simakov explained. A delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government headed by Barzani will attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which is held June 16 -18. The Forum is an annual conference dedicated to economic and business issues and attracts more than 10,000 international participants. Russian President Vladimir Putin frequently attends as well. Simakov expressed his hope that the KRG delegation’s visit would lead to many economic opportunities between Kurdistan and Russia, confirming that Russia could play an important role in developing the Region’s industrial and agricultural sectors. The Kurdistan Region and Russia have a strong history of cooperation. President Masoud Barzani visited Russia in 2013 where he met with Putin. Barzani’s father, Mustafa Barzani, lived in the Soviet Union for a number of years. Russia has supplied arms to the Peshmerga in the fight against the Islamic State.
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