On Monday 9 June 2008, Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir, Head of Foreign Relations, Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq, will speak on ‘The Role of the Kurdish Regional Government in a new Iraq' from 6-7 pm.
Minister Falah Bakir has been the Head of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Department of Foreign Relations since September 2006. He will discuss its negotiations with the central government in Baghdad, as well as the Kurds' relations with Turkey and the wider Middle East, the Kurds' relationship with the UK and the US.
The Kurdistan Region in Iraq has featured rarely in news reports about the Iraq war, except when Turkey strikes at the PKK on the border and when analysts speculate on whether the Kurds will secede from Iraq. However the KRG is in the process of negotiating with the central government key issues that will decide whether the new Iraq will ultimately fail or succeed. Issues such as the disputed oil-rich city of Kirkuk, the status of Kurdistan's large military forces, its right to sign oil contracts and how to share Iraq's oil revenues.
The KRG has enjoyed de facto autonomy since 1991 and is now officially recognised in the Iraqi constitution. Mr Bakir has been involved in the KRG's negotiations with the central Iraqi government on several national issues including revenue sharing, management of oil fields and contracts, the budget and Kirkuk. He was also in the KRG delegation that recently held talks with Turkey.
Minister Bakir is a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party.
This meeting will be Chaired by Dr Toby Dodge, Consulting Senior Fellow for The Middle East and will take place on the Fifth Floor at Arundel House, 13-15 Arundel Street, Temple Place, London WC2R 3DX.
If you would like to attend, please RSVP Kathleen James on james@iiss.org or tel.020 7395 9109
