From February 26 to 28, the 3rd International Forum “The Future of the Middle East Amid Mounting Uncertainty”was held in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Autonomous Region of Iraq. The event was organized by Rudaw Research Center in cooperation with analytical centers from various countries. The Primakov Center acted as a partner of the forum and took part in organizing one of the discussion sessions.
The forum opened with speeches by President of Iraq Abdul Latif Rashid and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani, who outlined the region’s key challenges and possible ways to address them. They emphasized the need for coordinated efforts to maintain stability, particularly in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iraq’s internal political situation, and the strengthening of cooperation between the federal government and the Kurdistan Autonomous Region.
The three-day forum included 14 panel discussions and a series of interviews with political leaders and regional experts. Among the key participants were Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament Mahmoud al-Mashhadani and President of the Kurdistan Autonomous Region Nechirvan Barzani, who discussed Iraq’s domestic politics, economic development prospects, and relations with neighboring countries.
One of the important topics of discussion was the status of Kurdish populations in Iraq, Turkey, Syria, and Iran. Participants examined the relationship between the central government and the Kurdistan Autonomous Region, the impact of Iraq’s federal model on its political system, and the future of the Kurdish movement in the region. The situation of Kurds in Turkey was also addressed, with speeches by Turkish politicians and researchers, including former Speaker of the Turkish Parliament and co-founder of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) Bülent Arınç.
Additionally, the situation in Syria and the conflict in Gaza were in focus. Experts explored potential scenarios for a political settlement in Syria, factors affecting internal stability, and the role of external actors in regional processes. It was emphasized that Israel’s military actions in Palestine not only fail to resolve the conflict but also contribute to increased tensions throughout the region.
Several sessions were dedicated to energy and climate issues in the Middle East. According to the speakers, Iraq places great hopes on resuming oil exports via the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline, which has been out of operation for two years. Former Deputy Minister of Oil of Iraq Izzat Sabir noted that Baghdad is striving to diversify its gas imports to meet the country’s growing energy demands.
A special focus was given to Russia’s role in the Middle East amid global transformations. One of the panels featured Dr. Alexander Aksenyonok, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Russia, Vice President of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) (online); Dr. Nikolay Surkov, Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies of IMEMO; and Dr. Jahangir Karami, Associate Professor at the Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran, and an expert on Russia. The speakers discussed Russia’s cooperation with Middle Eastern countries, regional security challenges, and ongoing conflicts in the context of global transformations.
The Russian delegation included Nikolay Surkov and Ivan Pappinen, Project Manager at the Primakov Center.