ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Tuesday held a series of meetings with top officials from different parts of the world on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
He met with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo in Davos.
“Today at #WEF25, I met with PM @alexanderdecroo to discuss strengthening trade and economic ties. I thanked him for Belgium’s support, and we exchanged views on the Kurdistan Region's constitutional rights and regional developments,” Barzani wrote on X.
During the meeting, the Belgian prime minister underscored the importance of the Kurdistan Region and expressed his country’s readiness to further develop relations with the Region. They also agreed on developing bilateral relations in the fields of trade and economic exchanges, according to a statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
Barzani also met with the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev where they highlighted the long-standing relations between the two governments. Aliyev expressed readiness to resume flights between Baku and Erbil, according to a statement from Barzani’s office.
“During #WEF25, I met with H.E. @presidentaz Aliyev. We highlighted the historic relationship between the Kurdish people and Azerbaijan. I emphasized the importance of deepening our bilateral relations across all sectors,” said Barzani on X.
Kurdistan Region and Azerbaijan enjoy good relations and Kurdish officials have repeatedly emphasized Erbil’s intentions to further bolster ties with Baku.
The Kurdish prime minister continued his Davos meetings with Czech Foreign Minister, Jan Lipavsky.
The two discussed the development of relations between the Czech Republic and the KRG especially regarding economic diversification. In another part of the meeting, they stressed the importance of security and stability in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, while exchanging views on the latest developments in Syria, the KRG said.
Later in the day, Barzani and Saudi Arabia’s Investment Minister, Khalid al-Falih met on the sidelines of the Davos Economic Forum. They both expressed readiness to further develop bilateral relations.
“The Prime Minister, while referring to the long-standing relations between the Kurdistan Region and Saudi Arabia, expressed the Kurdistan Region's readiness to strengthen relations with Saudi Arabia,” the KRG said in a statement.
Prime Minister Barzani also held meetings with Yemen, Qatar, and Bahrain delegations in Davos.
