ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday received prominent Iraqi Sunni Arab politician and Taqaddum Party leader Mohammed al-Halbousi in Erbil, underlining the importance of joint efforts in upholding national interest. The visit comes amid an ongoing rapprochement that began in May, ending differences dating back to late 2024.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Barzani "stressed the need to strengthen ties and enhance frameworks of cooperation and joint coordination between Iraqi political forces and parties, in order to confront various challenges and overcome current obstacles," the Kurdish premier said in a Facebook statement.
"We also exchanged affirmation of the importance of protecting the democratic and federal system in Iraq, and supporting the federal government in a manner that preserves and safeguards the constitutional rights of all components, and providing the best services to all Iraqis on the basis of justice, equality, and without any discrimination," he added.
For his part, the Taqaddum Party leader affirmed that national interest requires coordinating positions among political parties and that all forces must rise to the level of responsibility in facing challenges.
"We may have previously differed on some viewpoints, but now the supreme interest requires all of us to coordinate positions, and to rise to the level of responsibility in facing the challenges," he told reporters, including Rudaw's.
Commenting on his meeting with the Kurdish Premier, the prominent Sunni Arab politician said talks centered on "the importance of cooperation and communication between political forces to preserve the people's due rights in order to get through the crisis the country is experiencing at the economic level, and at the security level being witnessed across the entire region."
"We may have previously differed on some viewpoints, but now the supreme national interest requires us to coordinate positions," said Iraqi Sunni politician Halbousi on the sidelines of his meeting with Kurdistan Region PM Barzani.
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Halbousi arrived in Erbil on Thursday where he was received by senior Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) politburo member Hoshyar Zebari and Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament Farhad al-Atroushi as well as Erbil’s Interior Minister Reber Ahmed, Minister of Endowments Peshtiwan Sadiq and Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw.
Later in the day, the Iraqi politician met with President Masoud Barzani, head of the KDP, where they discussed "the political situation in Iraq and the latest developments in the country and wider region," according to a statement from the Kurdish leader's office.
The two top figures also discussed relations between Erbil and Baghdad, emphasizing "the need for coordination and stronger ties among Iraqi political parties to overcome obstacles and resolve disputes."
The rift between Halbousi and the KDP dates back to the summer of 2024, when he opposed the transfer of military equipment from the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State (ISIS) to Erbil's Peshmerga ministry - equivalent to the Kurdistan Region's defense ministry - despite the transfer's approval by then-prime minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani (2022-2026).
Senior officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), as well as from the KDP leadership, censured Halbousi at the time, arguing that Kurdish forces are an integral part of the country's defense system.
However, earlier this year, the influential Sunni Arab politician met with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani in an effort to thaw ties. Halbousi then remarked that the meeting was a "positive and important step" toward easing tensions and "opening a new page" in relations between his Taqaddum Party and the KDP.
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Updated at 5:30 pm
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