![Kurdish President Masoud Barzani [L] and Iraqi Vice President Ayad Allawi [R] chat as they attend the funeral of former Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on October 7, 2017 in Sulaimani. Photo: Rudaw/Sartip Othman](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.rudaw.net%2Fs3%2Frudaw.net%2FContentFiles%2F334155Image1.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Saad al-Hadithi, spokesperson of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, told Sky News Arabic on Sunday afternoon that the meeting that took place between Kurdish President Masoud Barzani and Iraqi Vice Presidents Ayad Allawi and Osama al-Nujaifi on Saturday is part of “consultations” between various Iraqi and Kurdish parties.
He said the meeting “does not necessarily reflect the position of the Iraqi government,” adding that Baghdad’s position is well reflected in the decisions passed by the office of the prime minister, the Iraqi Supreme Court, and the Iraqi parliament, all of whom rejected the Kurdish referendum held on September 25.
He said that any dialogue between the two sides should be under “the framework of the [Iraqi] constitution” that stipulates protecting the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq.
President Barzani met with Iraqi Vice Presidents Ayad Allawi and Osama al-Nujaifi in Sulaimani on Saturday where they had gathered to attend the funeral of Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani.
The Iraqi government has passed a number of punitive measures, including a ban on international flights to and from the Kurdistan Region, a measure the Kurdistan government has called “collective punishment.” It has also officially demanded Kurdistan’s neighbors, both Turkey and Iran, close their land borders with the Kurdistan Region and help bring Kurdish oil exports under the control of federal authorities.
Hadithi, the Iraqi spokesperson, denied that the “procedures” passed by the federal government against Erbil amounts to “punishment.”
The Iraqi government opposed Kurdistan’s popular vote that took place on September 25 and has called for the vote to be annulled, something rejected by Erbil.
Allawi told reporters before his meeting with Barzani that there were efforts on the national, regional, and international levels to find a solution that best serves the interests of Iraq and preserves its unity.
When laying a wreath of flowers on the tomb of Talabani earlier in the day, Barzani was asked by reporters about the disputes between Erbil and Baghdad. He said they have always called for dialogue to resolve outstanding issues with the government in Baghdad.
“We hope that this will become an opportunity for them [Iraqi officials] to reconsider their decisions,” Barzani said.
The Iraqi parliament speaker Salim al-Jabouri is said to meet with President Barzani later today in Erbil.
