Shafaq News / During the opening of the 8th edition of the "Al-Qatiya" platform conference, held in al-Sulaymaniya governorate with broad attendance from political, academic, and social figures, veteran Kurdish politician Mala Bakhtiar commended President Nechirvan Barzani's official visit to Iran, stating that it succeeded in "thawing the ice between Erbil and Tehran."
Addressing the audience, Mala Bakhtiar highlighted the issues between Erbil and Tehran, citing Iran's missile strikes on the Kurdistan Region's capital 144 times. However, he considered President Barzani's recent visit to Iran as "historic" and successful in improving relations between the two sides.
He referred to Barzani's remarks during the visit, noting his mentioning of "good intentions in Tehran to resolve issues with the Kurdistan Region."
Moreover, Mala Bakhtiar affirmed that the Kurdistan Region's experience has become part of the political equation in the region and the world as a whole, emphasizing that "the Kurds' situation in Iraq has changed significantly over the past three decades."
He stated that the trade volume between Iran, Turkiye, the Kurdistan Region, and Iraq as a whole reaches $50 billion annually, emphasizing that "this is a significant figure."
Expanding on the matter, Mala Bakhtiar mentioned that "global attention is now turning to oil and gas in the Kurdistan Region," suggesting that "it is feasible to transport Kurdistan gas to Europe, similar to oil exports through the Turkish port of Ceyhan."
He argued that gas exports would solve the economic challenges facing the Region, highlighting that the current global issues revolve around water and gas rather than oil as it used to be.
Mala Bakhtiar also stressed the Kurdistan Region's "crucial role in the region due to its natural gas resources and abundance of freshwater."
Additionally, he emphasized the significance of the meeting between Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Nechirvan Barzani, stating that it is "very important" both domestically and internationally, asserting that the meetings held by the Region's president pave the way for resolving disputes and outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad.
Notably, President Barzani recently returned to Erbil after a two-day official visit to Iran.
During his trip, he met with top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and President Raisi, discussing bilateral ties between Iran, Iraq, and the Kurdistan Region.