Nechirvan Barzani’s diplomatic steps “ Art of Possible”

Shafaq News / As usual, President of Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani openly searches for common areas to enhance understandings between opponents and open doors of dialogue and common solutions.

 His three decades in politics serve as accumulated experience in "The Art of Possible", that helps him to honestly open the political doors which for many, may seem closed.

Dilshad Shahab, the Advisor to the President of Kurdistan Region stated to Shafaq News, “Kurdistan President’s role comes from his belief in dialogue and understanding in dealing with problems, as well as his responsible personality."

Although the beginning of his presidency coincided with internal, regional, political and security complications, Nechirvan Barzani managed to transform the crises into new opportunities of pacification and communication. As witnessed in his first visit abroad as a President, landing in Turkey to meet the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at a time when relations with Ankara were tense after the independence referendum in Kurdistan.

The same can be seen in his visits to Tehran, Paris, Davos and others, knocking on political and economic doors, but his most important action is witnessed in Baghdad, for he is well aware that Baghdad’s turmoil affect Iraq as a whole and Kurdistan in particular, so he always tries to weave threads of understanding with it.

For example, he rushed to congratulate Mustafa Al-Kadhimi for being granted confidence in the parliament, and bet on joint solutions between Baghdad and Erbil, hoping to settle the dispute that have arisen with Baghdad recently, including the issue of Kurdistan’s employees’ cut of salaries.

Shahab adds, "If we search in the past a little bit, we can see that one of his important steps is forming a unified government in Kurdistan after the fall of the previous Iraqi regime came at a time when Kurdistan was suffering from complex problems at the internal and regional levels, as he had a diplomatic patience in dealing with matters and believed in the language of dialogue, that helped him to overcome all these problems.”

“I believe Nechirvan’s success depends on two factors, the first is his belief in solutions, and the second is internal and external forces’ belief in his directions and visions, in addition, Kurdistan’s people always wait for him to interfere and solve problems even if they weren’t related to him.”


Nechirvan Barzani is armed not only with his regional and internal diplomatic ties, but also with his own personal skills in managing disputes and crises, in order to reduce differences, rapprochement with rivals and economic gains for the region,” Shahab concluded.

As well as his family legacy, which strengthens his presence, for he is Mullah Mustafa Barzani’s grandson, and the son of the Kurdish revolution’s engineer, Idris Barzani.

Thus, he mastered the art of politics, after receiving his political education at the University of Tehran.  

From university to political activity, to the political party then to the regional government and eventually the presidency.  He is in a position where if he proposes, people listen carefully.

Days ago, he stressed about the unity and partnership between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), after the security problem in "Zayni werti" in Erbil.

Nechirvan Barzani breaks the tension between opponents and works to unite the Kurdish house.  As Dilshad Shahab said, "One of the president’s tasks is playing a role in unifying the Kurdish house, for he ardently believes in the cause of a united Kurdish community that includes various components”

After the emergence of several problems, KDP and PUK announced their willingness to sit at the dialogue table, Shahab said that "in this case there must be a third party to play the rapprochement role, as both parties asked his sovereignty to hold a meeting for being the right person and to be under his supervision, which comes in the framework of his attempts to eliminate internal problems and regulate relations within the Kurdish house”


About the crisis between Baghdad and Erbil, Shahab stated, "The president believes that, problems of Baghdad, even if they are not directly related to Kurdistan are part of our problems, for every problem in Baghdad has implications for the region."

For example, when the political situation became tense and there were anti-government demonstrations in the center and south of the country last October, his sovereignty dealt directly with the Iraqi government, given that such circumstances is related to Kurdistan, as he believes that it is not possible for Iraq to live in tension and Kurdistan to be away from it and vice versa, this is why (KRP)’s speeches on issues related to Baghdad confirm that the problems of Iraq are our problems and we do not look at them on two different visions.

Since the beginning of the attempts to form the new government, Nechirvan pointed out that, the goal of forming the government is to overcome this stage of crisis and to guarantee the constitutional and legal entitlement of all Iraqi components. "

”The unanimity of all these essential elements of his success is based on his self-confidence, other parties believing in him and the people’s belief that he is a successful personality.

“I personally think this is a good fortune for Kurdistan that all of these elements and attributes meet in a person like Nechirvan,” Shahab added.