The transcript of the Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani's speech at the University of Kurdistan-Hawler conference:

Good morning, before I start my speech, I would like to extend my condolences to the families of the victims of Manchester terrorist attack, which killed 22 people and wounded nearly 60 others. I stand in solidarity with the people of the United Kingdom and share their pain. This attack once again is a proof that terrorists don't target only one place or one country, but it's an international threat facing all of us. We Kurds are proud to have been in the forefront of the war against these terrorists. More than 1,700 Peshmergas have lost their life in the fight against terror and nearly 10,000 are wounded. This shows that the international community must work harder to defeat terror militarily and ideologically, which I believe that defeating the ideology is much harder. Once again, I extend my condolences to the city of Manchester.

I’m delighted to open this important conference, and am grateful to all of the distinguished guests for taking the time to be here. Thank you to Vice Chancellor Dr. Mohammed Mochtar for that introduction, and for the work you are doing in making UKH one of our most promising institutions.

And thank you, of course, to the Peshmerga – especially those who have been martyred for their country. We are certain that their continuous relentless efforts will not go wasted. The attempted incursion by Daesh in Khormatu last week was a reminder that those who hate us will always seek to test us. We can feel completely secure in this building and this city thanks to our security network and the vigilance of Peshmergas, security officers and their coworkers.

In considering the crossroads that Kurdistan is currently at, first we must assess how we got there. If you look across the arc of Kurdish history, a history marked too often by persecution and struggle, it is striking that we have witnessed so many phases in just the last decade and a half.

First there was the greater freedom and autonomy that came with the invasion of Iraq in 2003. In the following years, that freedom led to a phase of rapid development, in which our potential was finally given the space to grow.

Then, most recently, has been the period of multi-pronged crisis. This is something that everyone here is acutely aware of. We’ve been through economic, security and humanitarian storms that few established nations could weather without serious damage.

This innate resilience has been forged by the struggles of the past, but I believe it speaks of our identity and values too. Let us take a moment to reflect on what hasn’t happened in Kurdistan.

We haven’t resorted to extremism – radical ideologies have failed to establish a foothold here, and we have continued to protect religious and ethnic pluralism.

We haven’t turned refugees away – despite the strain on our already fragile finances, healthcare, education and other services sectors.

And we haven’t turned against eachother – although we have had political differences, and there are deep and understandable frustrations with the economic situation, there is no appetite for the kind of violent clashes that has been witnessed in the past, and in the wider region.

This is worth reflecting on because it reveals our potential for the future. It is said that the best test of any person’s character is when they are put under strain. That applies to a society too. I believe we have passed that test. We have come through the storm and shown our true values. This is something we should be proud of ourselves. And I hope it is something that global influencers will recognise as we take the next steps in our journey.

Distinguished participants,
Today, and throughout this conference, it is important to keep our eyes on the future. And I invite all of the minds in this room to think through the practical steps that can and should be taken – both domestically and internationally.

There are always major events and global trends that we cannot change ourselves – oil prices, wars, shifting global alliances. We must understand these factors, but they shouldn’t distract us from what we can change, and what we want to change.

I’ve described the three phases of Kurdistan’s recent past: freedom, development, and crisis. So what comes next? I believe our focus should be on this: nation-building. Nation-building is about sustainability, unity, and ultimately - independent nationhood.

On sustainability, we know our economic development won’t grow back up as quickly as it fell down. This means we can take each step carefully. We know that it is necessary for our country to develop in a sustainable way for it to prosper in the long-term. Just as a road needs the right layers to remain smooth, or a multi-storey building needs the right foundations to remain stable. The only positive thing you can say about a crisis is that it makes you realise what is most important.

On the government side, our out-dated salary distribution was one of those issues that came into greater exposure. I am very proud that we have dealt with it decisively and effectively over the last year with our home-grown biometric salary system. This is one of many reforms that the Deputy Prime Minister and I are committed to bringing through.

We also remain committed to putting the right infrastructure in place. While many of our more ambitious projects have had to be paused, I’m grateful to all the foreign and local investors who have carried out projects during the difficult times. Many of them did so based on trust in the KRG and belief in the future of Kurdistan, forgoing the need for full upfront payments.

I believe we’re coming towards the end of the crisis, and into a new phase of post-war development. We may not quite be at the start of growth, but we are starting to see some encouraging signs.

Ladies and gentlemen,
While we will not return to the kind of dizzy momentum we had before, which may not be a bad thing, we do have to do our utmost to demonstrate we are going in the right direction. Growth begets growth. Every new business brings another – to compete or complement it. Every returning member of the Kurdish diaspora encourages another.

Government reforms and economic development are critical to our nation-building, but they are not enough on their own. We can build those stable foundations, but we cannot build the roof of independence without the strong walls of social and political unity.

Together, Kurdistan is ‘greater than the sum of its parts’. Only by working together can we build our nation in the right way. Only by having common purpose can we resist outside agendas and speak with one clear voice in the world.

Political disagreements will never go away. That’s part of democracy. But during the heat of the war against Daesh, we didn’t prioritise these problems as much as we could have. Now, the important thing is that we work for the whole region, and find solutions for all issues through dialogue.

One of the aspects excites me most about achieving our destiny as an independent nation is the way that it will bring us all together towards our common goals. The purpose of a referendum is to clarify that independence itself is a common goal of ours. And then - once that is reaffirmed - our collective risks and opportunities will be clearer too. We are under no illusions that independence will be a magic cure for all our ailments, but it will be the start of a new journey in the right direction.

Our current status with Baghdad means more on paper than in reality. It will surely be better to establish a close neighbourly partnership rather than continuing with some kind of tenant-landlord relationship that neither side is happy with.
A strong, united, independent Kurdistan can also be part of the solution for various regional and international goals too, and I know we have some distinguished speakers who will be examining this aspect in more detail.

As I conclude, let me say that I hope that what is discussed and debated over the next two days in this room does not stay in this room. We need to maintain this kind of policy-focused debate not just in our universities, but in our political discourse, our media coverage, and our teashops too.

I believe our local media in particular has a responsibility to play a constructive role in engaging the public on issues of policy. As leaders too, we need to be better at directly engaging the public in these matters. In both our media and politics.

It’s always easier to criticise than to create. By Creating, I mean making an effort and facing the challenges. When you try, you might make mistakes and have some drawbacks! Yet, it’s easier to stay in your comfort zone than to take on necessary risks or challenges. Nothing can be easier than just criticizing and hiding away from facing the challenges.

But now, with our common goals in mind, all of us must play our role in nation-building. After all, despite the acute challenges of the last few years, if you take a longer view it’s apparent that our generation has still had it easier than most of our forebears.

We are also better positioned now than in any time in our history to take the journey towards self-determination. And so, future generations will judge us by how we took these opportunities.

Did we forget the lessons of the past and turn inwards against eachother?

Did we invest in education and institutions so that the next generation were better prepared than ours was? (of course, this university is one example of this, but we have to do so much better – especially with schooling in the younger ages).

Did we make decisions, and take actions, that were for the greater good of Kurdistan rather than ourselves?

Did we have the confidence to step forward and take this unique opportunity to get more control over our own country?

These are questions that we will all have to answer for to our children, and the history books.

If we work together towards common goals, and tap into the minds and efforts of people like you in this room, I’m confident that we can still build something to be proud of.

Thank you.
I wish you and this conference much success