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Speakers

Similar to last year’s Forum, panelists at MERI Forum 2015 will include a mix of national and international policy makers, decision-makers, academics, diplomats and leading journalists. Among those who confirmed their attendance include:

From Baghdad, Iraq:
– Salim Al-Jubouri Speaker of the Parliament
– Ammar Al-Hakim, Leader of Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq*
– Khalid Yassin Al-Obeidi, Iraqi Defence Minister*
– Bayan Jabir Al-Zubaidi, Minister of Transport*
– Darbaz Jaff, Minister of Migration & Displacement
– Shirwan Al-Wa’ili, Security Advisor to the President
– Khalid Shwani, Spokesman for and Advisor to the President
– Youssef Al-Kelabi –  Security Spokesperson for Hashd Al-Shaabi

From Kurdistan Region of Iraq:
– Nechirvan Barzani, Prime-Minister,
– Barham Salih, Former Prime-Minister
– Mohammed Amin Faraj, Leader of Kurdistan Islamic Union
– Ali Bapeer, Leader of Kurdistan Islamic Group
  Roj Noori Shawias, Polit Bureau Member of Kurdistan Democratic Party
– Adnan Mufti,
Polit Bureau Member of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
– Qubad Talabani, Deputy Prime Minister
– Shorsh Haji, A leader in Gorran Movement

International speakers:
– Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Turkey
– Lise Grande,
 Deputy UN-SRSG & Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq
– Daniel Augestburger, Head of UNAMI in Kirkuk
– Stuart Jones, US Ambassador for Iraq
– Sir John Jenkins, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Bahrain
– Brendan O’Leary, University of Pennsylvania, USA
– Kenneth Pollack, Brookings Institute, USA
– David Pollock, Washington Institute, USA
– Alireza Miryousefi, Director for Middle East Studies, IPIS, Iran
– Jane Arraf, Journalist
Belinda Lewis, Deputy Head of Mission, British Embassy

From MERI:
– Dlawer Ala’Aldeen, President of MERI
– Samuel Morris, Research Fellow
– Athanasios Manis, Research Fellow


* Speakers who had to return to Baghdad due to the sudden death of Mr Ahmed Chalabi