Boris Johnson holds talks with Kurdish PM Barzani in London
Prime Minister Barzani spoke about his aspiration to export energy to Europe, and the Prime Minister lauded his efforts to help reduce Western reliance on Russian oil and gas.
April 20, 2022, 6:16 pm

Boris Johnson holds talks with Kurdish PM Barzani in London

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Photo: Official Facebook page)

The Asharq Al-Awsat reported, citing Reuters, Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani spoke with his British counterpart Boris Johnson about his desire to export energy to Europe and reduce reliance on Russian oil and gas.

The leaders highlighted the strength of their relationship, recognising the UK’s deep ties with the Kurdish people. They noted the significant opportunities for greater partnerships across trade and investment.

A British government readout of a meeting between the two in London said: “Prime Minister Barzani spoke about his aspiration to export energy to Europe, and the Prime Minister (Johnson) lauded his efforts to help reduce Western reliance on Russian oil and gas."

In late March, Barzani told an industry conference in Dubai that Kurdistan would soon become an important source of energy.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson holding talks with Kurdish PM Masrour Barzani in London on Tuesday, April 19, 2022. (Photo: Aawsat via EPA)

He stressed: “I am confident that Kurdistan will soon become an important source of energy for the world's growing demand."

He affirmed that Kurdistan has capacity now to make up for at least some of the shortfalls of oil in Europe.

He added: “We will become a net exporter of gas to the rest of Iraq, to Turkey and Europe in the near future."

Boris Johnson visits Saudi Arabia and the UAE in pursuit of additional oil flows

Boris Johnson updated Barzani on his recent visit to Kyiv and reiterated the need for the international community to continue to push back against Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

ukgov, aawsat

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.