ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Wednesday received the British ambassador to Baghdad and the Dutch consul general to Erbil, discussing a range of issues, including the latest developments in the region.
The meeting between President Barzani and UK’s top diplomat in Iraq, Irfan Siddiq, focused on Erbil-Baghdad tensions and the formation of a new Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet, according to a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency.
The Iraqi government has only paid the KRG’s financial entitlements for the first four months of this year, suspending it last month for Erbil’s alleged failure to hand over its revenues. The Kurdish officials have seen the move as a political one.
KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on Wednesday that a high-profile delegation from Baghdad is set to visit Erbil to resolve the issue.
Kurdistan Region held parliamentary elections in October but the political parties have yet to reach a final agreement to form a new cabinet. Prime Minister Barzani said on Wednesday that the ruling parties - the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) - have reached an agreement on the agenda of the cabinet. He noted that the door is open for other parties to join.
President Barzani and Siddiq also touched on the latest developments in the Middle East.
“Concerning the recent developments in the Middle East, it was emphasized that a peaceful resolution to the issues at hand, along with the use of dialogue and diplomatic approaches, serves the interests of all involved parties as well as the broader region, thereby fostering peace and stability,” the Kurdish presidency said in the statement.
Iraq and Kurdistan Region successfully avoided being dragged in the 12-day Israel-Iran war despite the Iraqi airspace being used in the deadly conflict.
President Barzani’s meeting with the Dutch Consul General Adriaan IJsselstein also focused on the regional developments.
The two “shared views on the regional situation, underscoring the importance of maintaining peace and stability, and the need to resolve conflicts through dialogue and diplomatic means.” read a separate statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency.
Very good to meet with @IKRPresident to discuss the situation in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the latest developments in the Middle East.
— Netherlands in Kurdistan Region (@nlinkri) June 25, 2025
We discussed the importance of maintaining peace and stability through dialogue, as well as bilateral cooperation. pic.twitter.com/j35iwUG41F
