Shafaq News / Kurdistan's Deputy Prime Minister, Qubad Talabani, emphasized the need for wise handling of Kurdistan's complex situation with its neighbors during his participation in the annual Delfi Economic Forum on Thursday. On the sidelines of the forum, he discussed relations between Kurdistan and Doha with Qatari State Minister for Foreign Affairs Sultan Saad Al-Muraikhi.
According to a statement from the media office of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Talabani stated, "Despite the region's richness in natural resources, we still do not have 24-hour electricity, so we must solve this problem and meet local needs before thinking about gas exports." He added, "Relying on oil and other natural resources does not provide a stable economy, so we must depend on other sources of income. We are here to learn from the experience of Greece and other countries."
Talabani also noted that "any stability and economic development in Iraq will lead to development and stability in Kurdistan." He pointed out that every large government is full of routine that leads to more corruption, so he worked hard to achieve digital transformation in the government.
He further stated that "Syrian Kurds are our partners in combating terrorism, and regarding political geography, Kurdistan is in a complex situation, so we must handle our neighbors wisely."
According to another statement from Talabani's office to Shafaq News Agency, the latter discussed with the Qatari minister ways to develop bilateral relations between the two sides. In this regard, Qubad Talabani expressed Kurdistan's readiness to enhance relations, especially in the field of university relations between Kurdistan and Qatar, as well as in sports and trade.
During the meeting, the Qatari State Minister for Foreign Affairs extended an official invitation to Kurdistan's Deputy Prime Minister to visit Qatar to discuss ways to enhance relations and find suitable mechanisms to strengthen these relations in areas of mutual interest, according to a statement.
On the other hand, the Deputy Prime Minister also met with the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Konstantinos Zervas, to discuss developing relations between Kurdistan and the Greek region of Thessaloniki in the fields of tourism, agriculture, and industry.
During the meeting, Qubad Talabani asked the Mayor of Thessaloniki to encourage investors from Thessaloniki and Greece to invest in Kurdistan, expressing the region's readiness to provide the necessary facilities in this regard.
According to another statement from Talabani's office, the latter met with Thanos Dokos, the Greek National Security Advisor, and Yorgos Giorgiades, the Greek Minister of Agriculture. During the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister discussed ways to protect stability in Iraq and Kurdistan and confront terrorist groups with the Greek National Security Advisor.
Meanwhile, Dokos expressed his country's readiness to assist Kurdistan, especially in providing advice to security forces. The two sides also stressed the necessity of enhancing coordination and cooperation between the relevant authorities in Kurdistan and Greece.
During his meeting with the Greek Minister of Agriculture, the Deputy Prime Minister discussed ways to develop relations between the two sides in the agricultural field and emphasized the necessity of transferring the Greek experience to Kurdistan in developing the agriculture and irrigation sector.
Qubad Talabani stated that "Kurdistan is an important agricultural area, and there are good opportunities to develop the agriculture sector." He called for encouraging Greek companies and investors to come to Kurdistan, stressing his readiness to provide all necessary facilities to Greek companies and investors.
The Delfi Economic Forum in Greece, attended by many heads of state, prime ministers, thinkers, and global businessmen, began yesterday. The forum aims to dialogue on political and economic problems and developments in the world, where necessary plans and strategies are laid out to address crises. Qubad Talabani is scheduled to speak about the latest developments and changes in Kurdistan, Iraq, and the region, and present his vision on ways to address problems.