Why did Barzani come to Baku?

President Ilham Aliyev held a meeting with Nechirvan Barzani, the head of the Iraqi Kurdistan region, who was on a working visit to Baku on July 18. The discussions focused on various issues, including energy cooperation, investments, tourism opportunities, and the potential for opening direct flights.

The meeting also recalled Aliyev and Barzani's previous meeting in Munich earlier this year, during which the head of Iraqi Kurdistan emphasized their close relations with Turkey and the possibility of joint cooperation projects. In response, Aliyev suggested considering mechanisms for trilateral cooperation.

Meki Resan, the head of the Iraqi diplomatic mission in Azerbaijan, stated that Barzani's visit to Baku is significant and will open up new opportunities for both Iraq and Azerbaijan.

Deputy Chairman of the Milli Majlis Committee on Defense, Security and Anti-Corruption Hikmet Babaoglu, in an interview with Turan,  emphasized the importance of Azerbaijan's strategic alliance with Turkey and its historical and religious ties with the Iraqi Kurdistan region. He highlighted the region's rich natural resources and the presence of Iraqi Turkmens in their historical homeland, emphasizing the significance of Barzani's visit.

On the other hand, the head of the Institute of Political Management, Azer Gasimli, in an interview with Radio Azadlig, expressed  expressed doubts about the establishment of economic and trade relations between Azerbaijan and the Iraqi Kurdistan region. He questioned the nature of the potential trade between the two sides and suggested that the visit could be politically motivated and related to Iran. Gasimli mentioned the recent attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Iran and subsequent rocket fire on Iranian cities, speculating that it might have originated from the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

Political commentator Arastun Orujlu also emphasized the importance of the Iraqi Kurdistan region due to its control over major oil reserves. He noted tensions between the region and Iran and their implications for Azerbaijan. Orujlu highlighted the sensitivity of Azerbaijan's relations with the federal government of Iraq and the Kurdish autonomy. He suggested that Azerbaijan should maintain its distance from the Iraqi Kurdistan region and prioritize cooperation with the country as a whole, rather than the autonomous region.

The meeting between President Aliyev and Nechirvan Barzani recalled the historical ties between Azerbaijan and the Barzan tribe. Barzani's grandfather, Mustafa Barzani, was born in Barzan, Iraqi Kurdistan, in 1903, and in 1945, he led a movement into the Soviet-occupied part of Iran. Mustafa Barzani and his supporters sought refuge in the Azerbaijani SSR before eventually returning to Iraq in 1958.