GOVERNMENT

Nechirvan Barzani

Politician

The President of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, 2020 marked the first anniversary in office for Nechirvan Barzani, a veteran fighter for Kurdish national rights who previously served as the region’s Prime Minister. Barzani’s vision is to build a peaceful, progressive, modern, and tolerant society deeply inspired by his personal values and beliefs in pluralism in political life and peaceful coexistence among all the religious and ethnic communities in the Middle East. In a year when priorities have shifted, Barzani has continued to warn of the dangers posed to the region by Islamist terrorism. Referring to Islamist atrocities carried out around the world in 2020, Barzani affirmed that these were “another reminder that the international community’s support is still needed to defeat ISIS and counter terrorism across the world.” (Photo: Ruptly / Screenshot)