Relations of
Kurdistan Region of
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
with foreign
states and organizations are conducted by the
Kurdistan Region. Political stability and a rapidly developing
economy
An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with the ...
have given the KRG the opportunity to pursue a
foreign policy
A State (polity), state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterall ...
independent from
the central government's. The KRG's primary body for directing its foreign affairs is the Department of Foreign Relations (DFR). The DFR's foremost objectives are to raise the global profile of the Kurdistan Region, improve the Region's international ties with various governments and international organizations, and present emerging business opportunities in the Kurdistan Region to regional and international actors.
The KRG's foreign policy vision has paved the way for the establishment of various diplomatic representations in Kurdistan. A total of
30 countries have a diplomatic presence in
Erbil
Erbil, also called Hawler (, ar, أربيل, Arbīl; syr, ܐܲܪܒܹܝܠ, Arbel), is the capital and most populated city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It lies in the Erbil Governorate. It has an estimated population of around 1,600,000.
Hu ...
. Multinational bodies, including the
EU,
UN,
ICRC,
JIA and the
KOICA
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA, Korean: 한국국제협력단, Hanja: 韓國國際協力團) was established in 1991 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea as a governmental organization for Official Development ...
also have offices in Kurdistan. The KRG's presence abroad has grown significantly since 2007. Currently the
KRG has representative offices in 14 countries.
Department of Foreign Relations
Kurdistan Region established the Department of Foreign Relations (DFR) in September 2006 to conduct relations with the international community. Today, the DFR is an integral part of the government, with a wide-ranging portfolio of responsibilities. DFR used to be headed by Foreign Minister
Falah Mustafa Bakir
Falah Mustafa Bakir ( ckb, فەلاح مستەفا بەکر; born 1964) is a Kurdish politician from Kurdistan Region, Kurdistan Region, Iraq serving as Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to President Nechirvan Barzani with a ministerial rank.
He w ...
from 2006. It has been headed by Minister Safeen Dizayee since 2019. The KRG Department of Foreign Relations is mandated to promote the interests of the Kurdistan Region and its people in regard to relations with the international community and in accordance with the Region's legislation and the
Constitution of Iraq
The Constitution of the Republic of Iraq ( ar, دستور جمهورية العراق Kurdish: دەستووری عێراق) is the fundamental law of Iraq. The first constitution came into force in 1925. The current constitution was adopted on Se ...
.
The key responsibilities of the department include:
* Strengthening bilateral relations with the international community
* Promoting trade, investment, tourism and institutional ties
* Supervising the
KRG's offices overseas
* Liaising with the diplomatic community in the Kurdistan Region
* Organising the visits of political and economic delegations to the Kurdistan Region
* Coordinating and organising KRG relations with the
Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Iraqi embassies abroad
* Conducting and supporting activities that enhance the image of the Kurdistan Region
* Communicating between official KRG institutions and the international community
* Providing legal and authentication services to the people of the region and its citizens abroad
Bilateral relations
Europe
Armenia
*Relations are described as 'cordial' and an Armenian consulate in Erbil is to be opened soon.
Australia
Canada
India
There has been limited diplomatic relations between India and Kurdistan Region despite the historical ties. India purchases Kurdish crude oil sold through Turkish companies. Several Indian citizens work in Kurdistan. Many Kurds travel to India for educational or medical purposes. In July 2014, Hemin Hawrani, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party's international relations wing, told ''
The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'' that he hoped for deeper political and economic ties with India, describing the country as "an important partner". Hawrani also expressed his desire to see the Indian government open a consulate in Erbil, and invited Indian companies to invest in Kurdistan. In November 2014, the Indian government sent special envoy Ambassador Suresh K. Reddy to visit Kurdistan and meet Kurdish government officials. Reddy stated that India "fully supports the Kurdistan Region during this difficult time", and expressed confidence in the Kurdish government and the Peshmerga forces to preserve the stability and security of the region. The Ambassador also praised the role of Peshmerga forces in fighting ISIL, and announced that the Indian government would open a consulate in Kurdistan.
Israel
In 2004 was reported about the meetings of Israeli officials with Kurdish political leaders when
Massoud Barzani
Masoud Barzani ( ku, ,مهسعوود بارزانی, translit=Mesûd Barzanî}; born 16 August 1946) is a Kurdish politician who has been leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) since 1979, and was President of the Kurdistan Region of ...
,
Jalal Talabani and the former Israeli Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon (; ; ; also known by his diminutive Arik, , born Ariel Scheinermann, ; 26 February 1928 – 11 January 2014) was an Israeli general and politician who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Israel from March 2001 until April 2006.
S ...
publicly confirmed the good relations of
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
and Kurdistan Region. The President of the Iraqi Kurdistan, Massoud Barzani answered a question while visiting
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
in May 2006 about the Kurdish–Israeli relationship:
"It is not a crime to have relations with Israel. If Baghdad established diplomatic relations with Israel, we could open a consulate in Erbil." In a policy address in 2014, Israeli Prime minister
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
supported the establishment of an independent Kurdish state. He said: "The Kurds are a fighting people that have proven political commitment and political moderation, and they're also worthy of their own political independence."
Jordan
South Korea
Kurdistan and
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
share strong diplomatic and economic relations as well as military support from the
Korean Armed Forces. The Zaytun Division (
Korean: 자이툰 부대;
Kurdish
Kurdish may refer to:
*Kurds or Kurdish people
*Kurdish languages
*Kurdish alphabets
*Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes:
**Southern Kurdistan
**Eastern Kurdistan
**Northern Kurdistan
**Western Kurdistan
See also
* Kurd (dis ...
: Tîpa Zeytûnê) was a
Republic of Korea Army contingent operating in Kurdistan from September 2004 to December 2008. An additional 2,200 troops (mostly engineers) were deployed to
Erbil
Erbil, also called Hawler (, ar, أربيل, Arbīl; syr, ܐܲܪܒܹܝܠ, Arbel), is the capital and most populated city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It lies in the Erbil Governorate. It has an estimated population of around 1,600,000.
Hu ...
in the
Kurdistan Region of Northern Iraq by early September 2004 and were grouped with the humanitarian troops who were relocated from Southern Iraq. The combined unit consisted of 2,800 soldiers. Another 800 soldiers were dispatched to reinforce the existing troops in Erbil in November 2004, thus increasing the size of South Korea's contingent to 3,600.
The Republic of Korea has a Consulate in Erbil that opened in 2004, the current Head General is Mr. Park Young-Kyu.
Kuwait
Palestine
Syria
Turkey
Consulate General of Turkey in
Erbil
Erbil, also called Hawler (, ar, أربيل, Arbīl; syr, ܐܲܪܒܹܝܠ, Arbel), is the capital and most populated city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It lies in the Erbil Governorate. It has an estimated population of around 1,600,000.
Hu ...
was established in March 2010. Flourishing trade between the two, an influx of Turkish investment, and energy agreements have paved the way for increasing geopolitical cooperation, and helped overcome decades of tension. This expanding partnership, built upon mutual economic interests, was symbolized by the visit of
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan
Tayyip () is a Turkish given name for males. Tayyip may refer to:
* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 1954), Turkish politician, and Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey from 2003 to 2014, and current President of Turkey since 2014
*Tayyip Talha Sa ...
to the Kurdistan Region in March 2011, the first such visit by a Turkish leader. Increasing trade volumes between Turkey and Kurdistan ($8.4 billion in 2012) empirically demonstrate the importance of this developing relationship.
Past tensions have been supplanted by a new energy partnership and Turkey seems far less worried about the prospect of an independent Kurdistan Region. In May 2012, Turkey and the
Kurdistan Regional Government cut a deal to build one gas and two oil pipelines directly from Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq to Turkey without the approval of Baghdad, taking the rapprochement started between the two in 2009 one step further.
Post independence referendum
2017 Kurdistan Region independence referendum
An independence referendum for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq was held on 25 September 2017, with preliminary results showing approximately 92.73 percent of votes cast in favour of independence. Despite reporting that the independence referendum ...
was heavily criticized and condemned by Turkish authorities and the independence vote significantly impaired the Turkey-Kurdistan Region relationship in the following years, though relations on the economical font remained significant.
The border between KRG and Turkey remained open nonetheless, unlike Iran which also condemned the referendum and closed its border crossings in order to blockade the region. Turkey removed three television channels based in northern Iraq, including Kurdish news agency
Rudaw, from its
TurkSat satellite over broadcasting violations during the Kurdish Regional Government's referendum in September 2017. Turkey resumed flights to and from the Kurdistan Region in March 2018, which had been suspended since September 2017.
On 22 June 2019, the recently inaugurated President of the KRG
Nechirvan Barzani visited Istanbul and met with Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan, who described Barzani as his "special guest". It was Barzani's first official foreign visit as the President of the KRI. The goal of the visit was interpreted by several media outlets, including
Voice of America
Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international broadcaster. VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content ...
, as attempting to gain Kurdish support for the ruling
Justice and Development Party Justice and Development Party may refer to several political parties, the best-known ones being:
* Justice and Development Party (Morocco)
* Justice and Development Party (Turkey)
Justice and Development Party may also refer to:
* Justice and Dev ...
's candidate
Binali Yıldırım
Binali Yıldırım (; born 20 December 1955) is a Turkish politician who served as the 27th and last Prime Minister of Turkey from 2016 to 2018 and Speaker of the Grand National Assembly from 2018 to 2019. He was Leader of the Justice and Dev ...
in the
23 June 2019 Istanbul mayoral election.
United States
Currently the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
has official policy towards the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq. US Kurdish policy starting initially with "contacts" to a covert "relationship" and finally to an overt "institutionalized relationship" embodied in an official US Kurdish policy. The change of US interaction with the Kurds from humanitarian assistance to
strategic partnership A strategic partnership (also see strategic alliance) is a relationship between two commercial enterprises, usually formalized by one or more business contracts. A strategic partnership will usually fall short of a legal partnership entity, agency, ...
as a non-state ally and an asset is testimony to the enhanced role of the Kurdistan Region in the international relations of the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
. Deepening KRG–US economic relations was supported by establishment of the United States Kurdistan Business Council (USKBC) in April 2012. In the same month President of Kurdistan Region,
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Masud Barzani
Masoud Barzani ( ku, ,مهسعوود بارزانی, translit=Mesûd Barzanî}; born 16 August 1946) is a Kurdish politician who has been leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) since 1979, and was President of the Kurdistan Region of ...
, visited Washington, D.C. and met with
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
and
Vice President
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
Joe Biden.
The Consulate General of the United States in
Erbil
Erbil, also called Hawler (, ar, أربيل, Arbīl; syr, ܐܲܪܒܹܝܠ, Arbel), is the capital and most populated city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It lies in the Erbil Governorate. It has an estimated population of around 1,600,000.
Hu ...
was established in July 2011.
Kurdistan Region have a representative office in the United States from February 2007.
Relations with international organisations
Kurdistan Region holds 'member' or 'observer' status in only one
international organisation
An international organization or international organisation (see spelling differences), also known as an intergovernmental organization or an international institution, is a stable set of norms and rules meant to govern the behavior of states an ...
.
Participation in international sports federations
Kurdistan Region holds 'member' status in two international
sports federations.
See also
*
List of diplomatic missions in Kurdistan Region
The page lists diplomatic missions in Kurdistan Region, autonomous region of Iraq. First fully accredited consulates general was opened by Iran and Russia in 2007. Currently, 30 countries have official representation in Kurdistan Region, while Bel ...
*
List of diplomatic missions of Kurdistan Region
This article lists the representative offices of Kurdistan Region, autonomous region of Iraq. The Kurdish presence abroad has grown significantly since 2007. The KRG currently has representative offices in 13 countries and a mission to the EU. ...
*
Foreign relations of Iraq
Since 1980, the foreign relations of Iraq have been influenced by a number of controversial decisions by the Saddam Hussein administration. Hussein had good relations with the Soviet Union and a number of western countries such as France and G ...
References
External links
KRG Department of Foreign Relations
{{Asia topic, Foreign relations of