ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Saturday led a senior delegation to Baghdad for a series of high-level meetings with Iraqi federal leaders, as discussions continue over long-standing political and financial disputes between Erbil and the central government.
According to a statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the visit includes meetings with Iraq’s top political and judicial officials.
“In Baghdad, the Prime Minister will meet with the [Iraqi] Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Council of Representatives, the President of the Supreme Judicial Council, and several senior officials from Iraqi political parties,” read the statement.
“In addition to discussing the latest developments in the general situation of Iraq and the region, the meetings will focus on resolving the outstanding issues between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government based on the constitution,” it said.
The visit marks Prime Minister Barzani’s first trip to Baghdad since the formation of Iraq’s new government under Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. It comes amid ongoing financial disputes between Baghdad and Erbil, as both sides seek to stabilize relations after years of tensions over budget transfers and civil servant salary payments.
The Baghdad-Erbil relationship has been strained for years by disputes over budget allocations, oil exports, and civil servant salaries, with hundreds of thousands of public employees in the Kurdistan Region affected by delays and reductions in federal payments.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein recently said relations between the two sides are expected to improve, noting that the current political phase is focused on stability and governance. “The relationship between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad will improve,” he told Rudaw on Sunday, adding that officials are “all working for the success of this government so that it can serve the people of Iraq.”
Following the formation of the new cabinet last week, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani reaffirmed the Region’s “full readiness to work jointly with the federal government on the basis of the constitution, genuine partnership, and balance, with the aim of resolving all outstanding issues and ensuring and protecting the constitutional rights of all components.”
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment