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Speakers

Similar to last year’s Forum, panelists at MERI Forum 2016 will include a mix of national and international policy makers, decision-makers, academics, diplomats and leading journalists.

The list of confirmed speakers are (more to be added upon their confirmation):

International
§  Lise Grande, United Nation’s Deputy SRSG.
§  Patrick Simmonet, Ambassador/Head of the EU Delegation to Iraq
§  Walter Porsch, National Defence Academy, Austria
§  Osman Baydemir, MP and Former Metropolitan Mayor of Diyarbakir, Turkey
§  Jamal Khashoggi, General Manager, Alarab TV, KSA
§  Steven Blockmans, Centre for European Policy Studies, Belgium
§  Morten Bøås, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, Norway
§  Tine Gade, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, Norway
§  Max Hoffman, Centre for American Progress, USA
§  Nicolo Satori, Institute of International Affairs, Italy
§  Michael Knights, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, USA
§  Kenneth Gross, US Consul General in Erbil, USA
§  Kenneth Pollack, The Brookings Institute, USA
§  Cengiz Candar, Journalist and Writer, Turkey
§  Clarisse Pasztory,  Head EU Liaison Office ERBIL, Delegation of the EU to Iraq
§  Otmar Oehring, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Germany
§  Osama Al-Gharizi, United States Institute for Peace, USA

Iraq
§  Ammar Al-Hakim, Leader of Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq
§  Salim Aljobouri, Speaker of Iraqi Parliament
§  Mahdi Hafiz, Member of Parliament, Former Minister of Planning, Head of Progress Institute for Development Policies.
§  Rafe Al-Esawi, Former Deputy Prime Minister,
§  Atheel Al-Nujaifi, Former Governor of Mosul
§  Muzhir Mohammed Salih, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Iraq
§  Mohammed Salman, National Reconciliation in Prime Minister’s Office
§  Haider Ibrahimi, Executive Director of Sanad for Peacebuilding

Kurdistan Region of Iraq

§  Nechirvan Barzani: Prime Minister of KRG
§  Barham Salih, Former Prime Minister of KRG
§  Salahaddin Bahaddin, Leader of Islamic Union of Kurdistan
§  Mala Ali Bapeer, Ameer of Islamic Group of Kurdistan
§  Mala Bakhtiar, Politburo member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
§  Qadri Haji Ali, Member of the Gorran Leadership
§  Fazil Mirani, Secretary, Kurdistan Democratic Party, KRI
§  Mohammedi Haji Mahmoud, Leader, Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party§  Ashti Hawrami, Minister of Natural Resources, KRG


The Kurdish opposition parties in Iran
§  Mustafa Hijri, Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan
§  Khalid Azizi, Kurdistan Democratic Party (Iran)
§  Abdulla Muhtadi, Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan
§  Ibrahim Alizada, Iranian Communist Party (Komal)
§  Omar Ilkhanizadeh Iranian Komala Party of Kurdistan

Other national, Regional and international political, diplomatic & leaders have provisionally agreed, and names will be added upon confirmation

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