Shaping the Future: U.S.-Kurdistan-Iraq Relations Under the New Admin.

About This Event:

The Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace is delighted to welcome you for an engaging discussion on the dynamics of U.S.-Kurdistan-Iraq relations under the new U.S. administration, with a particular focus on the complex relationship between the Kurdistan Region and the Iraqi federal government.

For the past two decades, Erbil-Baghdad relations have been shaped by persistent financial, energy, and political disagreements, which have significantly impacted Iraq’s stability and US diplomacy in the country. This conversation will examine how these ongoing tensions may influence U.S. interests, particularly in areas such as security, economic development, and regional cooperation.
Looking forward, the discussion will explore how the new administration can play a constructive role in helping both the Kurdistan Region and the Iraqi government resolve their outstanding issues and foster a more collaborative and stable relationship that advances U.S. strategic objectives in the Middle East.

This event will feature distinguished speaker Dr. Hemin Hawrami, former Deputy Speaker of the Kurdistan Region Parliament and will be moderated by Yerevan Saeed, SIS Professor and Director of the Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace.

The talk will conclude with a Q&A session and Middle Eastern cuisine will be served at the end of the event.

Bios:

Dr. Hemin Hawrami is a prominent Kurdish political figure, currently serving as a member of the Political Bureau of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the leading ruling party in Iraqi Kurdistan. He previously served as Deputy Speaker of the Kurdistan Parliament and also led the advisory team in the office of President Massoud Barzani. Before his parliamentary term, Dr. Hawrami was Head of the KDP’s Foreign Relations Office, where he played a key role in shaping the party's international diplomacy and strategic partnerships. Born in 1976 in Halabja, Dr. Hawrami holds a Ph.D. in International Relations, showcasing his deep understanding of global affairs and political strategy. He also earned a Bachelor's degree in English Literature from Salahaddin University, Erbil (1999), and a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Kurdistan-Hewler (2016)

Yerevan Saeed (moderator) is the Barzani Scholar in Residence at American University’s School of International Service and a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington He is a TEDx speaker and former lecturer at the University of Kurdistan Hewler. Saeed previously was a visiting scholar and research associate at AGSIW. Saeed is a political analyst who researches and writes on security, political, and energy issues in the Middle East, focusing on Iraq, Turkey, Iran, the Gulf, and the Levant. He has served as White House correspondent for the Kurdish Rudaw TV, and his work has been published in the Washington Institute’s Fikra Forum, the Diplomatic Courier, The New York Times, the London-based Majalla magazine, Rudaw, Global Politician, and several Kurdish newspapers. In addition, he has been interviewed by Voice of America, NPR, CNN, Voice of Russia, and Kurdish television programs and newspapers. From 2009-13, Saeed worked with Stratfor; additionally, he worked for several media outlets, including The New York Times, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, BBC, and The Guardian, as a journalist and translator in Iraq from 2003-07.

Co-Sponsored by the Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace, the Department of Politics, Governance, and Economics, and the School of International Service.

Host or Publisher School of International Service