ERBIL () - World leaders and senior officials attending the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York spoke to about the Kurdistan Region, Syria, regional diplomacy, Iran, European security and Türkiye's peace process, offering a cross-section of views during the UN's annual high-level week.
Washington Bureau Chief Rahim Rashid conducted the interviews on the sidelines of the gathering, where heads of state, ministers, lawmakers and UN officials were meeting amid continuing conflicts and diplomatic efforts across the Middle East and beyond.
U.S. Congressman Joe Wilson voiced strong support for the Kurdistan Region, saying the United States backed its success and expressing optimism about wider regional stability. Wilson said Washington wanted "the best for the Kurdish people"and linked his remarks to what he described as broader changes in the Middle East, including the end of the Assad government in Syria. He also argued that regional states should work together in confronting Tehran, while expressing hope for greater peace and prosperity.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also emphasized relations with the Kurdistan Region. He said he had met Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani several times and that Armenia wanted to deepen cooperation.
Pashinyan pointed specifically to economic ties, political dialogue and cultural cooperation, and said he would welcome a future visit to the Kurdistan Region as part of a possible trip to Iraq.
Abdulla Balalaa, the UAE's Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, described his country's foreign policy as based on balanced mutual interests, dialogue and partnerships.
Asked about ties with the Kurdistan Region, he said the UAE was open to dialogue and partnership "with any region in the world,"adding that Kurdistan was no exception. On regional tensions involving Iran, Balalaa said the UAE would continue to support dialogue, respect for international law and a peaceful, stable and prosperous region.
Senior UN officials focused heavily on diplomacy. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, said the UN system was working to support greater unity in Syria and stressed that Syrians should have a voice in determining the country's future.
He said the UN remained committed to supporting the Syrian people and the country's leadership.
UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric described General Assembly High-Level Week as a central moment in the diplomatic calendar and said member states should use it to push for dialogue and de-escalation.
He said military solutions had failed to resolve prolonged conflicts and called for more diplomacy. On Syria, Dujarric welcomed the lifting of sanctions while saying private investment and remaining financial restrictions would also need attention.
He also warned that conflict involving Iran was harming civilians and affecting neighboring states, and called for full freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan, asked about relations with Washington, described Romania's longstanding relationship with the United States as very good and said recent engagement had been fruitful.
Romanian Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Țoiu, speaking separately on European defense, said NATO remained Romania's principal security priority. She highlighted higher defense spending, cooperation with U.S. and European partners, investment in domestic production capacity and work with Ukraine on drone and anti-drone capabilities.
Estonian President Alar Karis, reflecting on the UN gathering itself, pointed to the wide range of nationalities represented and the expanding scale of participation at the General Assembly.
The interviews in New York coincided with other reporting on regional Kurdish issues. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih told on Thursday that he was pleased with the unification of the Kurdistan Peshmerga forces and expressed hope that the Kurdistan Region's institutions would also be unified and used in the service of the people.
The full unification of the Peshmerga was announced on Sept. 21 during an official ceremony at the Kurdistan Region Presidency under the supervision of President Nechirvan Barzani and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, with Peshmerga Affairs Minister Shorsh Ismail taking part.
Mehdi Eker, a member of Türkiye's delegation in New York, meanwhile told that Türkiye's peace process was progressing and that further steps were continuing.
He said President Masoud Barzani could play an important role because of his relations with the different sides, adding that Barzani could make a significant contribution to the process.
Taken together, the interviews reflected the breadth of diplomacy surrounding this year's General Assembly: support for deeper ties with the Kurdistan Region, calls for political solutions in Syria and the wider Middle East, debate over European security and renewed attention to dialogue as conflicts continue to shape the regional agenda.
