The Middle East Institute and the Atlantic Council will host Qubad Talabani and Henri Barkey for a discussion on Kurdish issues in the region.  The Arab Spring has driven a wedge between Turkey and its once-close allies, Iran and Syria.  Ankara’s ties with Baghdad are strained, as well.  Panelists will address the impact of external upheaval on Turkey’s internal Kurdish issue and examine the situation in the context of Turkey’s changing relationship with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of Iraq.  Given the realities of the new regional dynamics, what are the prospects for Turkey’s “Kurdish Opening?” What impact will increased bilateral Turkey-KRG cooperation have on the security situation?  Our panelists will examine these questions and their domestic and regional implications for Turkey-KRG relations and the broader Kurdish question.

Thursday – 02/23/2012 – 13:00 to 14:30

Location:    1101 15th Street, NW, 11th Floor, Washington, DC  20005

 For more information and to register, click here.

While his diplomatic career admittedly is still young, Qubad Talabani’s public service on behalf of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq has been punctuated with the sort of high-profile, extraordinary experiences that the most veteran of diplomats would envy. From serving as part of the Kurdish negotiating team responsible for drafting a new Iraqi Constitution in the post-Saddam era, to coordinating a meeting between the President of the Kurdistan Region and President Obama and serving as part of the delegation for that Oval Office meeting, the highlights of Talabani’s short career are impressive and embody some of the more pivotal events for the fledging Kurdish government.

But a career in diplomacy and politics and having the opportunity to witness and play a role in these historic moments were never a given for Talabani. In fact, he initially had tried to steer away from it, pursuing a completely different career track by studying engineering, despite his family’s long and storied involvement in politics. However, as Talabani tells it, “when you’re Kurdish, you’re always somehow, one way or another” politically aware and engaged, and this maxim would prove true as he was drawn into the diplomatic sphere.“I remember one day getting a call from the then-Representative of the Kurds in Washington, now the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, who I had known since childhood. He said I’d like for you to work for me,” Talabani related, “So I tried it out. I was at a crossroads in life. I was young; it was in 2000. I came and tried it out and it was fascinating and interesting.”

To read the full Diplomatic Courier article, please click here.

North American tour operator leads the way in the escorted group-Travel industry by offering tours to a destination beyond the scope of other companies.

(PRWEB) February 01, 2012

In its 25th year of business, Adventures Abroad Worldwide Travel is proud to announce the beginning of its operations in Iraqi Kurdistan, with a 9-day itinerary that covers the highlights of this safe and secure region in this diverse country. Adventures Abroad has formed an exclusive partnership with a well-established, expatriate and locally-managed inbound operator, whose expertise, local knowledge and connections with local government and the registered Kurdish risk management advisory ensures a safe and secure cultural and historical immersion in this fascinating region.

For the full article from PRWEB, please click  here.

Viva explores the globe following three intrepid women taking the path least travelled. In the third adventure Cathrin Schaer visits a country which appears different from the headlines.

By Cathrin Schaer
And there it was: an ice skating rink in the middle of a shopping centre. Hardly what the average New Zealander associates with Iraq and not somewhere I expected to end up on my journey to the Middle East.

“Do you want to have a go?” I asked my colleague Mayada, an Arab business journalist from Baghdad.

She took another look at the handful of kids shrieking, laughing and tottering their way around the modern indoor rink, slowly shook her head and smiled. “You know, Cathrin, there are so many ways to die in Iraq, I think I might just avoid this particular one,” she said.

Mayada has a pretty good sense of humour. But she’s also right. Most of the time we associate Iraq with conflict, death or violence: suicide bombers and sectarian conflict, attempted genocide, American soldiers, burning oil wells, Saddam Hussein’s torture chambers …

But not all of Iraq is like that. The shopping mall we’re in today is in the north in what is known as Iraqi Kurdistan, one of the safer parts of the country. After years of conflict, the Kurdish people managed to eke out an agreement that gives them their own state within Iraq. Iraqi Kurdistan is part of Iraq but, inside its borders, it has its own laws, military and judiciary, its own economy and its own government.

For the entire story, please go here: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=10781270

Within the framework of KRG’s Human Capacity Development Program (HCDP), the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), in collaboration with AMIDEAST is to send 100 students to the United States to study Masters and PhD programs.

A delegation from AMIDEAST including the President and CEO of AMIDEAST, Ambassador Theodore Kattouf and Mr. Chris Ludlow, Country Director visited the Ministry of Higher Education on October 7, 2011, where they were received by Professor Dlawer Abdul-Aziz Ala’Aldeen, the Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Govand Hussein, the Director of Scholarships and Cultural Exchanges, and Dr. Amanj Abdullah, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Higher Education.

After a meeting with the guest delegation, both parties agreed to sign a contract with which 100 students from the HCDP program will have the opportunity to travel to the United States to study for Masters or PhD. Students will be able to take English Language and Test Preparation courses and the TOEFL and GRE exams here in the Kurdistan Region before they travel to the U.S. to begin their studies.

If you are a current HCDP recipient, you may apply for the AMIDEAST – KRG Program.

For More Information

KRG-US Contacts:

Michelle Grajek
Director for Political and Diplomatic Affairs
Michelle.Grajek@krg.org

Yousuf Ismael
Office Manager
Yousuf.Ismael@krg.org

AMIDEAST Local Contact:

Chris Ludlow
Country Director
Cell: +964 750 790 7331
cludlow@amideast.org

Application Forms:

To access the AMIDEAST application, please click here.

To access application procedures for the AMIDEAST application, please click here.

To access a list of the required documents for the AMIDEAST application, please click here.

* Kurdish exports to rise next year

* Salih says new oil law to go to parliament by year-end

By Serena Chaudhry

ARBIL, Iraq, Nov 13 (Reuters) – Iraq’s Kurdish region has signed an exploration deal with Exxon Mobil, a Kurdish official said on Sunday, confirming a deal that Iraq has said could jeopardise the U.S. oil giant’s southern oilfield contract.

Natural Resources Minister Ashti Hawrami said the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) signed a contract with Exxon in mid-October for six exploration blocks in the semi-autonomous region.

Iraq’s central government, which has long-running disputes with the Kurdish region over oil and land, has said Baghdad would consider a deal between Exxon and the KRG illegal and a violation of the company’s contract to develop Iraq’s 8.7-billion-barrel West Qurna Phase One oilfield in the south.

“It is a binding contract,” Hawrami said at an oil and gas conference in the Kurdish capital, Arbil. “It was signed completely on the 18th of October 2011.”

It was the first official confirmation from the KRG. Exxon has yet to comment on the deal.

Iraqi Kurdistan has enjoyed more stability and security in recent years than the rest of Iraq, which is struggling with stubborn violence from insurgents and militias more than eight years after the U.S. invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

The KRG has signed contracts with a number of smaller foreign firms to develop oilfields in the region, but the contract with Exxon would be its first with a global oil major.

Baghdad disputes the validity of the contracts, saying it has the right to control development of the world’s fourth largest oil reserves.

Abdul-Mahdy al-Ameedi, the director of the Iraqi oil ministry’s contracts and licensing directorate, said on Friday the government had sent three letters to Exxon Mobil warning that any deal with the KRG would be considered illegal.

Ameedi said such a deal could result in the termination of Exxon’s contract to develop West Qurna Phase One field, a deal Exxon and partner Royal Dutch Shell clinched in 2009.

In June, Deputy Prime Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said West Qurna Phase One production had hit 350,000 barrels per day and was expected to reach 400,000 bpd by year-end.

A statement on Exxon from Shahristani’s office on Saturday said Iraq would deal with any company that violates its laws “in the same way that we dealt with similar companies previously”.

Iraq announced in September that it would bar U.S. oil firm Hess Corp from competing in its fourth energy auction, scheduled for next year, because the company signed deals with the Kurdish region.

But analysts said Exxon’s participation in the southern deal may be too important for the central government to carry out any threats over the Kurdistan deal.

“Baghdad’s threat to Exxon Mobil is just that, a threat. Baghdad will not cancel the company’s contract in southern Iraq because Exxon Mobil is not a small company and it knows the consequences of every step,” said Ali Hussain Balou, former head of the oil and gas committee in parliament and now an analyst.

AMBITIOUS PLANS

The fields include one in Arbat, another field north of Arbat, one near the Marathon bloc, and three others in Al-Qhosh, Khanki and Perimam, according to a senior Kurdish oil ministry official.

The Exxon deal could further Iraqi Kurdistan’s ambitious plans to boost production from the region.

The chief executive of Norway’s DNO told Reuters on Sunday that his company would increase crude output capacity at its Kurdish Tawke field to 100,000 bpd next year, although production would stay at 50,000 bpd.

Genel Energy said output at the Tak Tak field is now 90,000 bpd and would hit 120,000 in January.

Prime Minister Barham Salih told the oil conference on Sunday that Arbil and Baghdad had agreed to boost Kurdish exports to 175,000 barrels per day next year.

Iraq’s official goal is to raise its production capacity to 12 million bpd by 2017, although the OPEC producer acknowledges a goal of around 8 million bpd might be more realistic.

Current production is 2.9 million bpd, with exports of around 2.1 million. Infrastructure limitations hamper Iraq’s ability to increase exports dramatically.

Salih also said he had agreed with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to present a new hydrocarbons law to the Iraqi parliament by the end of the year.

Investors anxious for a more stable legal platform for their investments have been waiting for the new law for years.

The law would be based on a 2007 draft agreed by political blocs, apparently shunting aside a more controversial version approved by the Iraqi cabinet that would have given more power to the central government.

“We have agreed with … Maliki that we will stick to the original draft of 2007. There may be amendments needed, but these amendments need to be agreed to mutually,” Salih said.

“In case of no agreement on those amendments, the provisions with the original text will be presented to parliament (by year-end) for parliament to decide.”

The KRG is deeply grateful to the United States and the U.S. military for its critical role in keeping the peace in Iraq. While we mourn the many casualties America has suffered in Iraq, we remain proud that no single American has been killed by hostile action in Kurdistan.

As we enter a new era of cooperation between Iraq and the US, Americans can count on the continued friendship and partnership from the people and leadership of the Kurdistan Region. We must continue working together to ensure that Iraq remains stable and secure, and continues to emerge as a federal democracy, and the Kurdistan Region continues to prosper and develop. We stand side by side with the United States, in war and peace.

Again, to all American troops, veterans and their families, we thank you for your sacrifice.

Qubad J. Talabani
Representative to the US
Kurdistan Regional Government -Iraq

Hurriyet Daily News

More than one million people have visited the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq – a haven of relative stability – in the past nine months, a tourism official said on Saturday.

“The number of tourists who visited Kurdistan during the last nine months reached 1.15 million tourists,” Mawlawi Jabbar, the head of the General Committee for Tourism in the region’s tourism and municipalities ministry, told Agence France-Presse.

This compares to 900,000 tourists during the same period last year, he told the agency.

“These tourists are coming from other Iraqi regions, the center and the south,” he said, adding that the visitors also include “foreign tourist groups that have started to arrive in the region.”

More tourists are expected for the Eid al-Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice, which began yesterday, Jabbar said, estimating that tourism for the year will reach 1.5 million.

While the rest of Iraq remains plagued by violence, the three-province northern autonomous region is relatively stable.

However, militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), who have been staging attacks against Turkish and Iranian targets, have bases in the region. Both of those countries have carried out military campaigns against PKK members last month.

Mariwan Salihi
The National

Oct 15, 2011

Why Erbil?

Erbil is the Iraq you don’t know about from the news. Spared from the carnage seen elsewhere in the country, the capital of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region calls itself – with a mix of aspiration and optimism – “the second Dubai”, because of the many new shopping malls, five-star hotels and skyscrapers under construction.

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But, unlike Dubai, humans have lived here for nearly 10,000 years, making it one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. Erbil has also been capturing the world’s attention for all the right reasons, with National Geographic and The New York Times both listing Kurdistan as a top travel destination for 2011.

The city’s heart is Erbil Citadel (www.erbilcitadel.org), sited on a naturally defendable 10-ha plateau, which explains why the Sumerians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Sassanids, Medes, Romans, Abbasids, Ottomans and others have all based themselves here. The citadel is undergoing renovation with assistance from Unesco, ahead of a projected World Heritage Site listing, but parts remain open to tourists.

A comfortable bed

The latest entrant in Erbil’s five-star market is the Park Hotel (www.divan.com.tr; 00 964 750 128 5908) opposite Sami Abdulrahman Park on Gulan Road. Scheduled to open next month, it will be home to QH 21 Sushi and Grill Bar (the first of its kind in Iraq), Seasons World Cuisine (with live cooking stations), Chopin Piano Bar and Saray Pastries, among others. It will also house the biggest in-hotel spa and gym in Iraq. Rooms are projected to cost from US$255 (Dh937) per night, including taxes.

Nearby is the Erbil Rotana Hotel (www.rotana.com; 00 964 66 210 55 55); its restaurants offer international, Italian and Lebanese cuisine, a piano bar, and a swimming pool for the summer months. Prices start from $410 (Dh1,506) per night.

For those on a tighter budget, the three-star Dim Dim Hotel on 30 M Street (00 964 750 445 8372) is close to the ancient citadel. Double rooms cost from $117 (Dh671), including breakfast, internet and taxes.

Find your feet

Most of the city’s downtown area is easily explored on foot. After seeing the citadel’s main attractions, including the Kurdish Textile Museum (www.kurdishtextilemuseum.com), head to the Qaysari Bazaar in the downtown area, which has been recently reconstructed using traditional architecture, for organic Kurdish cheese or honey and to buy souvenirs such as kalash (hand-made white Kurdish shoes). Cool down at the fountains in the Parki Shar (City Park), then visit the famous Machko Chaykhana, the historic teahouse located at the foot the citadel), which has been a traditional meeting point for the city’s intellectuals and journalists.

The city’s rich history is chronicled in the small Erbil Civilization Museum on Salam Barzani Street (admission free; open from 9am to 1.30pm, closed on Friday). Frustratingly, the 3,500 artefacts are housed in inadequate display cases, often with mislabelled and misspelt English labels. The staff act bored and appear ill-informed.

On the way to the airport is the suburb of Ainkawa, with a predominantly Assyrian Christian population who speak neo-Aramaic, and an Assyrian museum.

Meet the locals

Erbilis love to picnic in their city’s many large parks. The sprawling Sami Abdulrahman Park, with rose gardens, lakes, restaurants, cafes, a large public library and several large statues of famous Kurds, is one of the most beautiful in the Middle East. Minaret Park (named after the ancient Mudhafaria, or Choly minaret, located inside the park) is a place to share a cabin on the Erbil Teleferique (cable car) with the residents and head to the adjacent Shanidar Park. A one-way ride costs around $7 (Dh26) per cabin and takes only 15 minutes – enough to learn some Kurdish phrases.

Book a table

Erbil’s multi-ethnic population is reflected in its dining, with specialist restaurants spanning the culinary spectrum. Kurdish-Iraqi food is itself a mix of influences from Turkey, Persia, India, Greece, Lebanon and Syria. Erbil considers itself the kebab capital of Iraq, and you can judge the veracity of that at Abu Shahab City (near Naz City, on Gulan Road), a large complex with several buildings that offer fast food and local cuisine. Its Iraqi grill (kebab, chicken tikka and more) is delicious, but nothing beats their famous speciality, quzi sham, a biryani dish with meat and chicken, all covered with a layer of fried pastry. A meal for two usually costs around $50 (Dh184).

Shopper’s paradise

Retail-therapy options range from the 13th-century bazaar to five swanky, Dubai-style malls. Family Mall on 100 M Road has Iraq’s first Carrefour hypermarket, while the newly built Majidi Mall (www.majidimall.com) on Koya Road has the broadest range of international brands. Another 20 malls are planned for Erbil, which aspires to be one of the top shopping destinations in the Middle East.

What to avoid

Erbil is secular and liberal, and probably one of the more tolerant areas in the wider Middle East. But, as throughout the region, it’s still wise to dress modestly.

Don’t miss

Surprisingly for many first-time visitors, Erbil offers an unforgettable nightlife experience in Ainkawa. Order shisha and drinks at the Mamounia Sky Bar at Noble Hotel (www.fairouz-group.com) while taking in the breathtaking night panorama of Erbil’s modern and ancient skyline.

Kurdish Library & Museum Collection from Kurdish Heritage Foundation donated to Binghamton University by Dr. Vera Saeedpour. Opening ceremony. To see highlights of the exhibit, please click here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLRAh9pBbwQ