A delegation from Al-Nabaa Forum for Dialogue participated in the annual Erbil Forum, held under the theme "Security and Sovereignty in the Middle East: Building Bridges of Dialogue for a Peaceful Middle East". The event was attended by a gathering of political leaders, political party representatives, a broad spectrum of research centers, local and international organizations, prominent figures, and official delegations from several countries.
Forum member and advisor Dr. Wathiq Al-Hashimi explained that the forum aims to address peaceful solutions to regional security issues, organized by the Rudaw Research Center in cooperation with a coalition of Middle Eastern and international think tanks. He added that participation seeks to establish dialogue and build bridges between conflicting parties in the Middle East while offering strategic insights and political solutions to assist government decision-makers in developing an actionable roadmap toward democratic solutions.
For his part, Dr. Hisham Al-Hashimi, a forum member and moderator of the third session, stated that senior scholars from Iraq and neighboring states participated in the forum, presenting actionable proposals that could be adopted by the Federal Government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government.
Meanwhile, Forum Head Ali Al-Talqani emphasized that "the Middle East, and Iraq in particular, is witnessing complex conflicts, with proxy warfare becoming a defining feature impacting internal stability. Hence lies the importance of the forum delegation's participation in fostering dialogue with various stakeholders to reach consensus-based solutions that relieve the region of its crises."
Al-Talqani added that the forum's delegation moderated the second session, titled "Iraq: Land of Conflicts or Point of Understanding?", which featured Dr. Mahmoud Othman and Dr. Qusay Al-Suhail, Minister of Higher Education, alongside a group of political leaders. Meanwhile, Dr. Hisham Al-Hashimi moderated the third session on "Iraq and the Unresolved Security Situation", involving a panel discussion with Karim Sinjari, Minister of Interior of the Kurdistan Regional Government; General Miroslav Penic, former NATO commander and commander of the Central and Southern Iraq front during the liberation process; Jabar Yawar, Secretary-General of the Peshmerga; Michael Knights of The Washington Institute; and former Minister of Interior Qasim Al-Araji.
Al-Talqani noted that the management of the International Erbil Forum extended an official invitation to the forum's delegation to participate and broaden horizons for bilateral cooperation, underscoring the vital role of such dialogue in enhancing communication and exploring viable solutions to security and sovereignty issues in Iraq and the wider region.