Masrour Barzani, el-Sisi agree on security coordination in Egypt meeting

NEWSROOM — Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi agreed on continued coordination to support security and stability in Iraq, the Kurdistan Region and the wider region, according to readouts issued by the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Egyptian presidency after their meeting in Cairo.

The meeting took place Sunday at Al-Ittihadiya Palace. The Kurdistan Regional Government said the two sides agreed on “the need to continue coordination and joint cooperation and to intensify efforts aimed at safeguarding security and stability in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and the region as a whole.”

In a separate statement, the Egyptian presidency said el-Sisi praised “the level of cooperation between Egyptian and Iraqi agencies in the security field” and the efforts of the Iraqi state and Kurdistan Region authorities “to establish stability and peace in the region.”

Statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government:

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister and President Sisi Agree on Joint Coordination to Safeguard Regional Security and Stability

Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at Al-Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo.

During the meeting, the Egyptian president expressed his pleasure at the visit by the Kurdistan Region prime minister, affirming Egypt’s full readiness to strengthen bilateral relations and elevate them to broader horizons.

For his part, the prime minister praised Egypt’s role, under President el-Sisi’s leadership, in reinforcing the foundations of security and stability in the region, and commended Egypt’s positions in support of peaceful coexistence.

The meeting also included mutual affirmation of the importance of enhancing ties between the Kurdistan Region and Egypt across various fields, particularly investment and trade exchange, in a manner that serves shared interests.

Both sides agreed on the need to continue coordination and joint cooperation and to intensify efforts aimed at safeguarding security and stability in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and the region as a whole.

Statement from the Egyptian Presidency:

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi received today Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, in the presence of Major General Hassan Rashad, head of the General Intelligence Service; Rebar Ahmed, Minister of Interior of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq; and Mohsen Kamal, head of the Kurdistan Region Intelligence Service.

The official spokesperson for the presidency said the president began the meeting by welcoming the guest and affirming Egypt’s full and continued support for brotherly Iraq and for its unity and territorial integrity, as well as Egypt’s support for Iraq in confronting the many challenges facing the region, particularly terrorism. He praised the level of cooperation between Egyptian and Iraqi agencies in the security field and the efforts of the Iraqi state and the authorities of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to establish stability and peace in the region.

For his part, Masrour Barzani expressed the Kurdistan Regional Government’s appreciation for Egypt’s role and for the president’s support for Iraq and for the restoration of peace and stability in the region. He affirmed that the Kurdistan Regional Government looks forward to continuing to strengthen cooperative relations with Egyptian institutions.

Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, the official spokesperson, added that the meeting also addressed economic cooperation between Egypt and Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region. The president affirmed Egypt’s keenness to deepen economic cooperation in all its forms between the two sides, highlighting in this context the strong capabilities of Egyptian companies, particularly in the fields of energy and infrastructure, and the expertise they possess inside and outside Egypt. He invited the Kurdistan Regional Government to benefit from these companies’ capabilities in implementing projects with high quality and competitive cost.

In the same context, Barzani welcomed the role of Egyptian companies in Iraq and said he looks forward, during his visit, to working with relevant Egyptian authorities to explore ways to enhance cooperation and benefit from Egyptian expertise in a number of sectors that are a priority for the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq.

The spokesperson noted that the meeting also included an exchange of views on a number of regional issues of shared interest, during which the president presented Egypt’s vision on ways to restore security and stability in the region, and listened to the assessment of the Kurdistan Region prime minister on this matter.