Slemani Strategic Forum
Slemani, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
Building the conversations that shape the region’s future
The future of the Middle East will not be determined by conflict alone, but by the quality of the dialogue between those entrusted with its future.
The Slemani Strategic Forum brings together political leaders, policymakers, military commanders, business executives and leading thinkers to address the region’s most consequential strategic challenges. Through independent, high-level dialogue, we bridge governments, markets and societies, advancing practical cooperation on security, economic development, diplomacy and regional stability.
Our Patron
The Patron of the Slemani Strategic Forum is H.E. Qubad Talabani, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, whose public life has been defined by a commitment to dialogue, institutional reform and bridge-building across political, regional and international divides.
International Advisory Committee
The Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
Baron Grimstone of Boscobel; f UK Minister for Investment; f Chairman Barclays Bank plc; Chairman Gemcorp Capital; Vice Chairman BlueFive Investments
General Richard Myers
15th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States
15th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States
Andres Pastrana
President, Christian Democrat International (CDI); 31st President of Colombia
Sir Richard Moore
17th Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6)
Olusegun Obasanjo
5th & 12th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria & f. Chairman of the African Union
Yulia Tymoshenko
10th & 13th Prime Minister of Ukraine; Member of Parliament, Ukraine & Leader of the Batkivshchyna Party
James Heappey
f. Minister of State for the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom
General John R. Allen
1st Special Presidential Envoy of the USA for the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant; f. President of the Brookings Institution
General Sir Nick Carter
f. Chief of the Defence Staff, United Kingdom & Distinguished Fellow, Hoover Institution
Frans Timmermans
Minister of State of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; f. Executive Vice-President of the European Commission
Basil Gavalas
The Founding Strategic Advisor & Secretary of the International Advisory Committee, Slemani Strategic Forum
Muhtar Kent
Member of the Board of Directors of The Coca Cola Company; f. Chairman & CEO of The Coca Cola Company
Kiril Petkov
f. Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria
Peshawa Siwayli
Chairman, Alpha Steel Industries
Tobias Ellwood
Foreign Office Minister for the Middle East and Defence Minister of the United Kingdom; Distinguished Fellow, Atlantic Council
General Sir Ralph Wooddisse
f. Commander, Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, NATO
Eerik-Niiles Kross
MP; f. Chief of the Intelligence Service of Estonia
Christopher Ruddy
CEO & Majority Owner of Newsmax
Andreas David
Founder & Non-Executive Chairman, Dominor Holdings Limited
Dr. Greg Mills
Member of the Board, RUSI – The Royal United Services Institute
Anna Diamantopoulou
f. European Commissioner & Greek Cabinet Minister; President of DIKTIO
Vessela Tcherneva
Deputy Executive Director, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
Ambassador Jon Wilks
Distinguished Fellow, Atlantic Council; f. Special Envoy for Syria of the United Kingdom; f. Ambassador to Iraq of the United Kingdom
Bernardino León
6th Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Spain; f. Special Representative of the United Nations Mission for Libya
Macky Sall
4th President of Senegal
Dr. Alia Hatoug-Bouran
The Jordanian Senate, President, Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean; Member of the Advisory Council, IISS
Massimo Khairallah
Director of International Relations, Med-Or Foundation
Dr Karin von Hippel
RUSI Distinguished Fellow; f. Director-General of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)
A More Connected and Resilient Regional Order
We envision a Middle East in which dialogue is continuous, relationships are resilient and cooperation is shaped before crises demand it. Our ambition is for the Slemani Strategic Forum to become a recognised fixture in the international strategic calendar: a place where leaders return, conversations mature and institutional relationships deepen across time.
Through sustained engagement between the Middle East and its partners in Europe, North America and Asia, SSF seeks to contribute to a regional order defined by greater strategic clarity, stronger cooperation and shared responsibility for peace, stability and prosperity.
ABOUT US
