On Monday, April 27 at 2:30 p.m. ET, the Atlantic Council’s Iraq Initiative and Syria Project will host a public conversation with Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC) on US policy toward Iraq and Syria at a moment of heightened regional complexity.
Iraq and Syria continue to grapple with the long-term effects of conflict, economic strain, and institutional fragility, all while navigating evolving regional dynamics and the persistent threat of terrorism and militia violence. This conversation will examine the current state of Iraq-Syria relations, the structural and political barriers to bilateral cooperation, and what improved ties could mean for regional stability and prosperity. It will also explore how the United States and its partners are positioned to support diplomacy and economic connectivity between these two neighbors.
New policy: In-person attendees will be required to show photo ID upon arrival, and no on-site registration will be permitted. Guests will not be admitted later than twenty minutes after the event’s start time.
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Welcome remarks
Victoria J. Taylor
Director, Iraq Initiative & Syria Project
Atlantic Council
keynote remarks
Rep. Joe Wilson
Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs,
US House of Representatives
Speakers
Victoria J. Taylor
Director, Iraq Initiative & Syria Project
Atlantic Council
Ibrahim Al-Assil
Senior Research Fellow, Middle East Initiative, Belfer Center
Harvard Kennedy School
Hoshyar Zebari
Kurdish Politician,
Kurdistan Democratic Party
Moderator
Elizabeth Hagedorn
Diplomatic Correspondent,
Al-Monitor
Agenda
2:30–2:35 p.m. | Welcome remarks
Featuring
Victoria J. Taylor
Director, Iraq Initiative & Syria Project
Atlantic Council
2:35–2:45 p.m. | Keynote remarks
Featuring
Rep. Joe Wilson
Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs,
US House of Representatives
2:45–3:20 p.m. | Iraq and Syria: Political, security, and economic intersections
Speakers
Rep. Joe Wilson
Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs,
US House of Representatives
Victoria J. Taylor
Director, Iraq Initiative & Syria Project
Atlantic Council
Ibrahim Al-Assil
Senior Research Fellow, Middle East Initiative, Belfer Center
Harvard Kennedy School
Hoshyar Zebari
Kurdish Politician,
Kurdistan Democratic Party
Moderated by
Elizabeth Hagedorn
Diplomatic Correspondent,
Al-Monitor
3:20–3:30 p.m. | Moderated Q&A
Submit your questions to Jotto.
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The Iraq Initiative is driving policy-oriented programs and analysis that advance Iraq’s stability and sovereignty, regional integration, and democratic and economic development. It also aims to promote a strengthened US-Iraq partnership.
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