Shafaq News/ Kurdistan's Prime Minister, Masrour Barzani, delivered a keynote speech on Tuesday at the American University of Kurdistan's (AUK) Middle East Peace and Security (MEPS) Forum, which was attended by scores of senior officials and foreign diplomats were present.

PM Barzani said the world in general and the Middle East in particular are going through “an important and critical phase”, which requires collective work.

“At this forum, we need to exchange views and emphasize on the issues which have an impact on our region generally. Besides the political environment, the natural environment has also changed, which can impact the relations between the countries in the region and around the world,” PM Barzani stressed.

The Kurdish leader hoped that issues related to political and natural environment would be subjects of fruitful debates for the participants of the Middle East Peace and Security Forum.

While expressing support for any initiative that could promote peace, PM Barzani stressed that the post-election Iraq requires collective efforts to overcome challenges and enjoy a peaceful development.

“I hope that this forum would be useful, and our opinions would be helpful to make decisions which would serve the interests of our country and the wider region,” the premier added.

The Middle East Peace and Security Forum has convened several senior officials from the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and around the world, including Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, Kurdistan Parliament Speaker Rewaz Fayiq, Iraqi President Barham Salih, Shia leader and the chair of Hikma Movement, Ammar al-Hakim, and many ambassadors and consulate generals.