President Barzani to attend Munich Security Conference mid-February: Chairman

Rudaw Net

29-01-2025

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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani is set to attend the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in mid-February, the conference's chairman said, calling the Kurdistan Region's representatives 'important actors' in the region.
'Representatives of the [Kurdistan] Regional Government have been participating in the Munich Security Conference for several years because they are important actors in the region. From President Barzani and the Kurds, I expect them to, on one hand, present their position, as they have extensive experience in the fight against ISIS [Islamic State],' Christoph Heusgen told Rudaw's Alla Shally on Monday.
President Barzani has attended the conference for several years, and the 2025 edition will run from February 14 to February 16.
A former senior policy and security advisor to then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Heusgen reiterated that KRG officials 'play a very important role' in the region and expressed hope that Barzani, with 'his extensive experience and knowledge,' will use the conference to hold dialogue with influential regional politicians.
He also stated that Syrian Kurds can play a 'constructive role' in the new Syria.
'They now play a constructive role in the effort to reorganize the Syrian state. I very much hope that the Kurds and Kurdish regions become an inseparable part of this Syria, where Kurdish rights, as they will then be a minority in Syria, are protected according to international law,' he said.
'There's a new government in Syria, which we hope will become an inclusive government. A government that includes all ethnic and religious groups. I think this is very, very important. Of course, the Kurds are also part of this,' he added.
A coalition of rebel groups, spearheaded by the Islamist Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), launched an offensive in late November, toppling the regime of Bashar al-Assad. The country is navigating a transitional phase.
Heusgen said there will be talks about how Syria can function and the minorities in the country, but he still does not know who will represent them.
The MSC serves as a platform for high-level debates on key foreign and security policy challenges and comes at a time of significant changes this year.