ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Masrour Barzani on Tuesday held a flurry of meetings with world leaders, top diplomats, and officials to build stronger relations between Erbil and the international community across multiple sectors, most notably, trade and investment, on the sidelines of the second day of the World Economic Forum.

Prime Minister Barzani kicked off his activities with a meeting with Belgian PM Alexander De Croo in Davos, discussing Erbil-Brussels bilateral relations, and "strengthening trade and economic ties,” between Belgium and the Kurdistan Region.

“I thanked him for Belgium’s support, and exchanged views on the Kurdistan Region’s constitutional rights and regional developments,” Premier Barzani wrote in a post on X.

According to a statement by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Belgian PM De Croo hailed “the important position” of Kurdistan, showing his country’s readiness to enhance relations with Erbil.

Both sides agreed to advance relations in the fields of trade and economy, the KRG statement detailed. 

Prime Minister Barzani arrived in Davos on Monday to attend the World Economic Forum, leading a high-level delegation.

PM Barzani’s delegation consists of the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, Safeen Dizayee, Chairman of the Kurdistan Board of Investment, Mohammad Shukri, and nearly 20 investors and businessmen.

Prime Minister Barzani then met a top Bahraini delegation led by Minister of Finance and National Economy Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, and Abdulla Adel Fakhro, minister of Industry and Commerce, discussing “enhancing relations” across multiple sectors between Manama and Erbil. 

The Kurdish premier's third meeting was with Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic Jan Lipavsky. The two sides voiced the significance of advancing Erbil-Prague relations across various sectors, including economic diversification. They also discussed regional developments and the need to protect the stability and security of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

As part of Tuesday's agenda, PM Barzani met with Aidarous al-Zubaidi, President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and a member of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, discussing situations in Iraq and Yemen in general, as well as developments in Syria, with both sides echoing the sentiment that the region’s "stability and security need to be preserved."

The Kurdish prime minister met Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia Khalid A. Al-Falih, stressing "advancing bilateral relations” between the two sides while hailing "historical ties” between Saudi Arabia and the Kurdistan Region. PM Barzani showed Erbil’s willingness to strengthen ties with Riyadh.

Later in the evening, PM Barzani met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Ilham Aliyev. During the meeting, Aliyev said he has a plan to visit Iraq and the Kurdistan Region while showing readiness for the resumption of Erbil-Baku flights.

PM Barzani thanked Azerbaijan’s support and coordination, stressing the need for bolstering bilateral ties between both sides across many sectors.

The Kurdish premier is also scheduled today to meet top Jordanian diplomats, as well as Saudi’s trade minister.

The 55th annual meeting at Davos will be carried out under the theme of “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age,” and it comes at a time of global and regional instability, including Syria's developments and the ongoing Ukraine war. 

According to the forum’s website, the meeting “convenes global leaders to address key global and regional challenges. These include responding to geopolitical shocks, stimulating growth to improve living standards, and stewarding a just and inclusive energy transition.”

The meeting is an annual event that takes place every year between January 20 to January 24 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, where businesses and governments meet to hold various discussions.

“The Prime Minister’s participation in the World Economic Forum comes within the framework of his ongoing efforts to strengthen the position of the Kurdistan Region on an international and diplomatic level, to advance the investment process, and develop the economy of the Kurdistan Region,” the statement from PM Barzani's media office detailed.