Kurdish Delegation Seeks Stronger Economic Ties At Armenia EXPO
At a Glance
- A high-level KRG delegation alongside 70 merchants arrived at Armenia EXPO 2026 to expand bilateral trade.
- The visit launches an economic diplomacy campaign spanning the agricultural, industrial, and technology sectors.
- The initiative aims to ease visa procedures, introduce the KRG market, and secure fresh import contracts.
A high-level Kurdistan Regional Government delegation alongside roughly 70 local merchants has arrived at Armenia EXPO 2026 to expand bilateral trade, with officials hailing robust economic ties and launching a strategic economic diplomacy campaign across the agricultural, industrial, and technology sectors.
Key Statement and Focus Area
- Sheikh Mustafa Sheikh Abdulrahman, President General of the Union of Importers and Exporters of the Kurdistan Region, told Channel8 that, “The economic relationship between the Kurdistan Region and Armenia is good and strong.”
- Sarwar Kamal Hawari, KRG Deputy Minister of Commerce and Industry, noted that, “The Kurdistan Region is actively seeking commercial partnerships.”
- The Union of Importers and Exporters of the Kurdistan Region stressed that “the trade relations between the Kurdistan Region and the Republic of Armenia are strong and developing, and it is constantly trying to take these trade relations to a higher level.”
A senior delegation from Kurdistan Region, led by Sheikh Mustafa Sheikh Abdulrahman, President General of the Union of Importers and Exporters, attended Armenia EXPO 2026 in Yerevan on Friday.
An economic meeting featured a KRG Ministry of Trade and Industry delegation led by Deputy Minister Sarwar Kamal Hawari and Legal Advisor Soran Salahuddin, alongside the Union’s delegation including Duhok Branch President Rebar Ibrahim Duski, Halabja Branch President Jaza Reza Hama Saleh, Kirkuk Branch Deputy President Ramazan Rashid, and approximately seventy member importers.
Speaking to Channel8 at the event, Sheikh Abdulrahman said the Kurdish traders and importers frequently travel to Armenia to source goods, adding that livestock and grain contracts signed during their 2022 visit remain actively implemented and ongoing.
“Following this latest delegation, we anticipate that commercial ties between the Kurdistan Region and Armenia will strengthen further and trade movement will increase,” he emphasized.
The President General highlighted that Armenia's advanced agricultural and industrial capabilities make the nation a highly viable trading partner across all major economic sectors.
Sarwar Kamal Hawari, Deputy Minister of Commerce, told Channel8 that approximately 70 businesspeople from various diverse sectors are participating, adding this visit was organized with the direct support of the Department of Foreign Relations and other entities.
Hawari mentioned that the KRG is holding high-level meetings to facilitate visa procedures and establish direct lines of communication with the government.
The Deputy Minister underlined that the event is “a positive step,” and Kurdistan is searching for commercial partnerships as traders from the Region currently possess high levels of commercial literacy, noting that “all of these efforts fall under the umbrella of what is known as economic diplomacy.”
The official further said that the initiative aims to generate fresh opportunities across trade, investment, technology, and specialized expertise, alongside boosting the food industry and various other sectors.
According to him, as a government delegation representing the Ministry of Commerce, they are providing clarity and insight regarding the regulations, laws, and guidelines of the Kurdistan Region to the official delegations of Armenia and other nations.
FYI
Armenia EXPO 2026 is the 25th international trade-industrial exhibition forum held in Yerevan, serving as the largest regional B2B marketplace for manufacturers, state institutions, and foreign investors.
Taking place from September 4 to September 6, the massive forum spans across multiple economic sectors, enabling international delegations like the Kurdistan Region's trade union to secure cross-border import agreements.
The Kurdistan Importers and Exporters Union stated that its delegation participated in the exhibition to introduce the KRG market and secure investment opportunities at the prominent trade forum, which showcases major domestic agricultural, industrial, and food sectors.
The union delegation visited several Armenian companies to hold direct discussions with executives, focusing on importing food and agricultural products while strengthening trade relations and paving the way for new import contracts for the Kurdistan Region.
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