The group headed by Iraq’s minister of the interior will meet with their Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) counterparts and hopefully improve the security in the contested areas between Erbil and Baghdad, according to KRG Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed.
"On Wednesday, a delegation from the Ministry of the Interior of Iraq, headed by the interior minister, will visit Kurdistan to talk about Erbil-Baghdad issues," Ahmed said at a press conference. "God willing, the [meetings] will yield good results".
The KRG's relations with Baghdad took a hit in late 2017 after Erbil went through with the Kurdistan independence referendum. Amidst already frosty relations over the Kurdistan Region’s independent oil sales, Iraq retook most of the disputed territories following the referendum and also imposed an embargo on international flights in and out of Kurdistan for more than six months.
Relations have vastly improved under the leadership of Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, but this spirit of goodwill could soon run out if the KRG continues to flout its end of the bargain to deliver oil.
According to the 2019 federal budget, the KRG receiving its share of the federal budget is continent on the KRG giving part of its oil to Baghdad. The federal government says the KRG has not delivered on this so far.
Ahmed added that the Wednesday meeting will be specifically related to issues concerning the two interior ministries and security. The two sides will also discuss Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution, which stipulates that people in the disputed territories should decide whether they are to be governed by the federal government or the KRG, though it has never been implemented.
“We have set up a committee tasked with dealing with security and military files with Baghdad as well as Article 140," he said, referring to the of the disputed areas of the Kirkuk, Nineveh and Diyala provinces - where ISIS is regaining its strength.
The formation of committees between Baghdad and Erbil came following an agreement between Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani Abdul-Mahdi upon the former's first visit to Baghdad as president in June to attempt to mend and improve relations.
Ahmed said another committee established by the KRG is dealing with "matters of oil and gas and some other oil and gas related issues."
Salar Mahmood, Iraqi President Barham Salih's adviser, is likewise optimistic that tomorrow Erbil and Baghdad will reach a mutual understanding.
"There is good joint understanding between the Kurdistan Region and Iraq in order to reach an agreement," he told Rudaw in Baghdad today, adding any agreement reached will last four years.
Mahmood confirmed that tomorrow's visit "will be specific to the interior ministries. And after that, the KRG committees will visit Baghdad for further talks."
Abdul-Mahdi is under mounting pressure from Shiite leaders to take a harder line on the KRG and the budget issue.
Aimed at boosting political ties while discussing resolving outstanding issues, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani visited the Iraqi capital of Baghdad in mid-July for the first time as KRG head.
After being sworn-in as prime minister, Barzani said “The Kurdistan Regional Government and parliament will form a negotiation team to negotiate with Baghdad and achieve the constitutional rights of our nation."
“The constitution will be the base of any negotiation between Erbil and Baghdad,” he added.
