At a Glance

• A senior Kurdistan Region security official took part in an international security forum in Bahrain.

• He spoke on a panel about stability in the Middle East.

• He held high-level intelligence and security meetings on the sidelines.

Jalal Sheikh Naji, Head of the Parastin and Zanyari/Zanyari Agency, called for responsible dialogue and cross-border coordination to safeguard security in the Middle East during the IISS Manama Dialogue in Bahrain.

Key Statements and Focus Area

• Dialogue and Peace: "Without understanding and responsible dialogue, we cannot establish security and peace in the region." — Jalal Sheikh Naji, Head of the Parastin and Zanyari/Zanyari Agency.

• Shared Responsibility: "Recent events and crises have demonstrated that no country alone can protect its own security or any region in the world merely by imposing its own strategy." — Jalal Sheikh Naji.

• Coordination Against Threats: "Through coordination, we can easily overcome challenges and ensure that our countries' security is never jeopardized under any circumstances." — Jalal Sheikh Naji.

• Focus Area: The role of intelligence and security cooperation in maintaining stability in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and the wider Middle East.

Naji made the remarks on the third day of his participation in the forum, during a panel on pathways to security and stability in the region. He said evolving circumstances raise everyone's duty to work together and described regional and global security as a shared responsibility.

He told attendees that the intelligence and security relations his agency maintains serve the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and broader regional stability to ensure Kurdistan's territory is never used as a launching pad against any party. He added that the agency is working with partners to protect regional peace and national security while navigating the challenges of this stage with minimal risk.

FYI

The IISS Manama Dialogue is an annual security conference held in Bahrain by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, bringing together government officials, military and intelligence leaders, and analysts to discuss Middle East security.

The Parastin and Zanyari are the two main security and intelligence agencies of the Kurdistan Region, and the region has repeatedly faced cross-border attacks, making assurances that its territory will not be used against neighbors a recurring theme in its diplomacy.

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