World
Masrour Barzani, prime minister of the Kurdistan Region, meeting with Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA, on May 23, 2022 in Davos, Switzerland. Photo: PM Barzani's office
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Monday met with a number of foreign officials at the World Economic Forum in Davos, seeking to bolster international economic support for the Region.
The premier arrived in Davos, Switzerland on Sunday, a day before the main ventures of the forum were set to commence, wishing to “carry KRG’s [Kurdistan Regional Government] voice” into the global assembly.
PM Barzani met with Qatar’s Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Mohammed al-Thani on Monday, discussing ways the Region could learn from Qatar’s experience with reforming its banking sector, and stressing the importance of modernizing the Region’s banking system. He also convened with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar.
In the framework of his meetings at the forum, Barzani met the president of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Akihiko Tanaka, and discussed ways for cooperation in supporting the Region’s agricultural goals.
“We know our farmers need new technology and agricultural equipment, merchants need small loans, and that tax breaks are important to help startups grow,” said the PM.
Barzani discussed with Peter Maurer, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the need to cooperate in providing assistance and care for locals, refugees, and displaced persons with disabilities.
He also touched upon the Region’s solar energy capacity with Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), requesting the agency’s help in providing technical assistance and training for the Region.
“In the last 3 years, we’ve completed the biggest flare gas to power project - at 165 MW capacity; seen private solar projects emerge, and tendered three 25 MW solar farms,” Barzani said in a statement on Monday.
The theme of the 52nd annual World Economic Forum is “Working Together, Restoring Trust,” aiming to tackle economic, political, and environmental challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The forum was initially set to be held from January 17 to 21, but was postponed to May due to the outbreak of the Omicron variant. The war in Ukraine is also expected to be at the center of the forum.
The Davos forum started on Sunday and is expected to end on Thursday.
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