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Programme

MERI Forum 2026

Programme (subject to minor changes)

Day One
Monday, 12 October 2026

 

08:00 Registration
09:00 Welcome & Introduction
09:15   The Middle East and the Debate of the Decade: The MERI Forum Framework

  • Dlawer Ala’Aldeen, President of MERI

Followed by:
P1: The New Syria: From Division to a Shared State

  • Elham Ahmed, Foreign Relations Committee, People’s Assembly of Syria
  • Najib Ghadbian, Senior Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Syria
  • Amy Austin Holmes, George Washington University, USA
  • Ammar Kahf, Executive Director, Omran Center for Strategic Studies, Syria (Moderator)

 10:50    Coffee Break
11:20    P2: Building a Stronger Kurdistan: Unity, Security and Regional Partnerships

  • Bafel Talabani, Leader, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
  • Sarhang Hamasaeed, Dialogue and Peace-Building Expert, USA (Moderator)

 12:00    Panel Switch
12:10    P3: The Levant Beyond Conflict: Rebuilding States, Reconnecting Societies

  • Said Al Masri, Arab Thought Forum, Jordan
  • Omer Shaban, Pal-Think for Strategic Studies, Palestine
  • Makram Ouaiss, The Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, Lebanon
  • Zozan Alloush, Independent Development and Political Consultant, Syria (Moderator)

 13:10    Lunch Break
14:30    P4: Partners, Not Donors: A New Chapter for Iraq and its International Partners

  • Niccolò Fontana, Ambassador of Italy to Iraq
  • Radu Dobre, Ambassador of Romania to Iraq
  • Antti Putkonen, Ambassador of Finland to Iraq
  • Kamaran Palani, Senior Research Fellow, MEPS (Moderator)

 15:30    Break
16:00    P5: Governing Iraq: Lessons on Power, Compromise and Statehood

  • Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, Former Prime Minister of Iraq & Leader of Reconstruction Development and Construction Coalition
  • Dlawer Ala’Aldeen, President of MERI (Moderator)

 16:40    Panel Switch
16:50    P6: Steering Kurdistan Through Turbulence: Building Resilience at Home and Influence Abroad

  • Nechirvan Barzani, President, Kurdistan Region of Iraq
  • Bilal Wahab, President of the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (Moderator)

17:35   Final words
17:45   End of Day One

*        *        *        *        * 

Day TWO
Tuesday, 13 October 2026

08:00    Registration
09:00    Introduction to panels of Day Two

Followed by:
P7: From Fragmentation to Integration: The Future of Iraq’s Security Architecture After the Coalition

  • Qasim Al-Aboudi, National Security Advisor, Iraq
  • Rebar Ahmed, Minister of Interior, Kurdistan Regional Government
  • Saad Salloum, Masarat Foundation (Moderator)

 10:20    Panel Switch
10:30    P8: Powering Kurdistan’s Future: Gas Supply, 24-Hour Electricity and Energy Security

  • Ahmed Mufti, Deputy Minister, KRG Ministry of Natural Resources
  • Aziz Ahmad, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, KRG
  • Khogir Wirya, Senior Fellow, Middle East Research Institute, MERI (Moderator)

 11:15    Break
11:45    P9: Dinar, Dollar and Discipline: Iraq’s Central Bank in a Turbulent World

  • Samir Fakhri Nima, Director General of Statistics & Research, Central Bank of Iraq
  • Raed Hijazein, Vice Chairman of Board of Directors, RT Bank
  • Ahmed Tabaqchali, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council Iraq Initiative (Moderator)

 12:30    Panel Switch
12:40    P10: After the Coalition: Iraq, Kurdistan Region and the New Regional Balance

  • Sarhang Hamasaeed, Dialogue and Peace-Building Expert, USA
  • Jabar Yawar, Former Secretary General of Ministry of Peshmarga
  • Sabah Al-Numan, spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces
  • Hiwa Osman, Journalist, +964 Media (Moderator)

13:40    Lunch Break
15:00    P11: Kurdistan at a Turning Point: Security, Federalism and a New Political Compact

  • Qubad Talabani, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
  • Ziryan Rojhalati, Rudaw Research Centre (Moderator)

15:40    Panel Switch
15:50    P12: From Conflict to a New Political Settlement: Turkey, the Kurds and the Future of the Region

  • Tuncer Bakırhan, Co-Chair, The People’s Equality and Democracy Party, Türkiye
  • Dlawer Ala’Aldeen, President of MERI (Moderator)

16:30   Panel Switch
16:40   P13: The Syrian Kurds and the New State: From Autonomy to Integration and Political Rights

  • Mazlum Abdi, Adviser to the Presidency of Syria, Former Commander of Syrian Democratic Forces
  • Dlawer Ala’Aldeen, President of MERI (Moderator)

17:25    Final Words
17:40 End of MERI Forum 2026