Iraqi Kurdish leader to speak at World Economic Forum in Switzerland - BBC Monitoring Service

16-Jan-2017
08:09:52 AM

By BBC Monitoring


Iraq's Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani has left Arbil to attend World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos of Switzerland, where he is expected to give a speech at the event about the unrest in Iraq and Syria, the Kurdish media reported on 16 January.


"Barzani will attend the WEF, which begins on 17 January and ends on 20 January in Davos, Switzerland, where he will also meet leaders and presidents who attend [the WEF event]," a Kurdistan Region Presidency statement said.


The statement added:"Barzani is accompanied by Kurdistan Region Presidency Chief of Staff Fuad Hussien, and head of Kurdistan Regional Government's KRG Foreign Relations Department Falah Mustafa," who often also acts as Barzani's English interpreter at international events.


On the same day, the website of the pro-KDP Kurdistan24 TV reported that Barzani was scheduled to give a speech at the WEF on 20 January, the last day of the event, and that his speech would mainly focus on "ending the conflict" in the Kurdish regions of northern Iraq and Syria.


Source: Iraqi Kurdistan Region Presidency website in Sorani Kurdish 16 Jan 17; website of pro-Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Kurdistan 24 (K24) TV 16 Jan 17


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