The Region and the Importance of Balanced Diplomacy

Latif Nerwayi, Member of the Leadership Council.

Written by Latif Nerwayi
Translated by Narmeen Othman Mohammed

Currently, the Kurdistan Region is going through a difficult economic, political, and security phase, and the situation in the region and among its local communities is generally in a precarious state. Therefore, the Kurdistan Region now more than ever needs to reorganise its internal affairs, and for this purpose, it requires a strategic plan specifically aimed at preserving the region's stability and navigating this phase.

Such a strategic plan should be able to:

• End fragmentation and manage coordination between military forces and political parties.
• Establish connections among all Kurdish forces, particularly between the ruling and opposition forces.
• Reconcile relations between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
• Bring all Kurdish forces under a framework of balanced coordination while allowing each force to maintain its presence and identity.
• Protect the region from internal threats, tensions, and instability.
• Allow the Kurdistan Region, despite its current difficult circumstances, to remain open and become a source for establishing a citizen-oriented government.

This cannot be achieved if political parties fail to acknowledge their historical responsibilities and do not sincerely answer the question: what is your plan for addressing the current situation of the region based on your vision and approach?

On this basis, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan(PUK) believes that the best answer is to adopt a new strategic plan, the foundation of which is balanced diplomacy and the use of soft and internally-driven forces in a context of intense political and diplomatic competition.

The aim of balanced diplomacy is to foster cooperation, establish balance among forces, reach sound decisions, and then achieve balanced agreements between the ruling and opposition parties. This means that managing tensions and challenges is not only the responsibility of the ruling or opposition forces but a national, collective duty. All parties, despite their differences, must converge within a broader vision.

To this end, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) has undertaken a balanced dialogue with the main ruling and opposition parties, namely the (Kurdistan Democratic Party) and (the New Generation Movement).

• Holding separate dialogues with these two parties does not oppose any other party because, according to the principles of the agreement between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and (the New Generation Movement), all points priorities the interests of the Kurdish people and do not harm any other political party.
• Similarly, any agreement between the PUK and the KDP will not negatively affect the New Generation Movement or other parties; a national partnership agreement will follow naturally, bringing the region into another phase that reflects the consent of the Kurdish people.

This choice and strategic plan result from a thorough examination by the PUK of the Kurdistan Region’s situation and the factors and challenges that have, over many years, hindered the resolution of internal issues in the region. Therefore, the PUK has acted decisively and reached the outcome that, after a long period of stalled dialogues, practical steps have been implemented.

Following this, the best choice for the current situation of the region is to introduce reforms in the dialogue programme and strategy, expand the dialogue framework, and ensure that discussions are not limited to the PUK and KDP alone, Other political parties, especially major opposition forces, should benefit from the process and participate actively. This step ensures that all parties contribute directly to consolidating Kurdish political stability.

Given the interests of the Kurdish people and this new experience, a genuine transformation in the Kurdistan Region will follow, reflecting the overall benefit to the population.

This is the people’s wish and the only choice that will bring the Kurdistan Region to a stage of calm and political stability.