Slemani Strategic Forum Enters Second Day With Global Leaders
At a Glance
The Slemani Strategic Forum entered its second day on Friday, bringing together Kurdish, Iraqi, and international leaders.
Iraqi President Nizar Amedi is scheduled to deliver the opening address before a fireside chat with Qubad Talabani.
Day two panels focus on Europe-Middle East relations, modern warfare technology, energy geopolitics, and regional security.
Qubad Talabani emphasized Slemani’s growing diplomatic role, stating that the key questions shaping the region are now being debated locally.
The Slemani Strategic Forum (SSF) enters its second day in Slemani on Friday, gathering Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and senior Iraqi officials alongside global diplomats, former heads of state, and security experts to address regional diplomacy, warfare technology, and energy security.
Key Statements and Focus Area
Ahead of the day’s sessions, Qubad Talabani highlighted the significance of hosting international policymakers in the Kurdistan Region. “The world is in Slemani. The questions shaping our region have long been discussed around the world. Today, that conversation is taking place here, in Slemani,” Talabani said.
Day two opens with an address by Iraqi President Nizar Amedi, followed immediately by a fireside chat featuring Talabani, moderated by Breitbart News Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle.
Throughout Friday, the agenda features high-level panels examining shared strategic threats between Europe and the Middle East, with participation from Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji, former UK Middle East Minister Tobias Ellwood, and Greek Foreign Ministry Secretary General Maira Myrogianni.
Defense and technological shifts are also central to the program, highlighted by a session titled War of the Machines: How Technology Is Reshaping Warfare, which brings together former European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans and former NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Sir Ralph Wooddisse.
Afternoon sessions shift toward diplomatic realignment, Gulf security, and bilateral relations, featuring a fireside chat with Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, a discussion with former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, and a conversation with Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Political Bureau member Darbaz Kosrat Rasul.
Later in the evening, Iraqi Oil Minister Bassim Mohammed Khudair Al-Abadi and Members of the European Parliament will join a panel on the geopolitics of energy, followed by closing discussions on leadership, institutional trust, and building a new regional order.
FYI
Running from November 12 to 13, the Slemani Strategic Forum serves as an independent platform for high-level dialogue on the strategic future of the Middle East, connecting regional policymakers with international institutions and analysts.
The first day of the conference on Thursday featured prominent regional and global voices—including Turkey's Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA Party) leader Ali Babacan, former Kurdistan Parliament Speaker Dr. Rewaz Fayeq, KRG Minister of Housing and Reconstruction Dana Abdulkareem Hamasalih, and senior researchers from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and the Atlantic Council—who largely emphasized diplomatic engagement and internal dialogue over military escalation to resolve ongoing Middle Eastern crises.
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