ECONOMY
US Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller speaking to reporters on September 13, 2023. Photo: handout/screengrab
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States on Wednesday renewed its call on the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to resolve their budgetary issue. A top Kurdish delegation is set to visit Baghdad on Thursday to hold further talks with the Iraqi officials on the same issue.
“We continue to urge the government in Iraq and KRG officials to resolve their budget disputes in a manner that benefits the Iraqi citizens as the Iraqi constitution requires,” US Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller told Rudaw’s Diyar Kurda during a press briefing on Wednesday.
The Iraqi parliament in June passed its highly contentious budget bill for the years 2023, 2024, and 2025, of which the Kurdistan Region’s share is 12.6 percent. But this did not resolve the budgetary issue between both governments.
Meetings between delegations from the KRG and the federal government have been ongoing over the past months, aimed at resolving lingering disputes over the Region’s share in the federal budget. Earlier this month, Baghdad decided to send 500 billion Iraqi dinars ( $320 million) for the salaries of the public servants of the Region as loans. It is not clear whether the Kurdish government will accept the offer or not.
The KRG has said that this amount is insufficient as the Region needs 940 billion Iraqi dinars ($602 million) to pay its civil servants.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday will lead a top delegation from his cabinet to Baghdad to discuss outstanding issues with the Iraqi government, especially the Region’s disputed share of the federal budget.
“We are going to visit Baghdad to resolve our issues peacefully. Our patience does mean the weakness of the Kurdistan Region but is a testament to our commitment to preventing the issues from being diverted… We want to guarantee the achievement of all the financial entitlements and constitutional rights of the people of Kurdistan,” he said during an event in Erbil on Wednesday.
US-based Al-Monitor reported on Tuesday that PM Barzani had sent a letter to US President Joe Biden, asking him to mediate between Erbil and Baghdad but the KRG has yet to confirm the letter.
Miller refused to comment on the letter when the Rudaw reporter asked about it.
“We continue to urge the government in Iraq and KRG officials to resolve their budget disputes in a manner that benefits the Iraqi citizens as the Iraqi constitution requires,” US Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller told Rudaw’s Diyar Kurda during a press briefing on Wednesday.
The Iraqi parliament in June passed its highly contentious budget bill for the years 2023, 2024, and 2025, of which the Kurdistan Region’s share is 12.6 percent. But this did not resolve the budgetary issue between both governments.
Meetings between delegations from the KRG and the federal government have been ongoing over the past months, aimed at resolving lingering disputes over the Region’s share in the federal budget. Earlier this month, Baghdad decided to send 500 billion Iraqi dinars ( $320 million) for the salaries of the public servants of the Region as loans. It is not clear whether the Kurdish government will accept the offer or not.
The KRG has said that this amount is insufficient as the Region needs 940 billion Iraqi dinars ($602 million) to pay its civil servants.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday will lead a top delegation from his cabinet to Baghdad to discuss outstanding issues with the Iraqi government, especially the Region’s disputed share of the federal budget.
“We are going to visit Baghdad to resolve our issues peacefully. Our patience does mean the weakness of the Kurdistan Region but is a testament to our commitment to preventing the issues from being diverted… We want to guarantee the achievement of all the financial entitlements and constitutional rights of the people of Kurdistan,” he said during an event in Erbil on Wednesday.
US-based Al-Monitor reported on Tuesday that PM Barzani had sent a letter to US President Joe Biden, asking him to mediate between Erbil and Baghdad but the KRG has yet to confirm the letter.
Miller refused to comment on the letter when the Rudaw reporter asked about it.
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