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
§ 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,
§ Muzhir Mohammed Salih, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Iraq
§ Mohammed Salman, National Reconciliation in Prime Minister’s Office
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
