BAGHDAD—Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani was in Baghdad on Friday where he held talks with his Iraqi counterpart Haider Abadi and US Secretary of State John Kerry on moving forward in the war against ISIS and the current financial crisis facing both capitals.
Barzani who traveled to Baghdad as head of a high-level delegation including his deputy Qubad Talabani and government ministers discussed with Abadi the Kurdish region’s financial strain and its share of Iraq’s federal budget that has been withheld by Baghdad for over two years.
Rudaw correspondent in Baghdad Sangar Abdulrahman said that the meeting between Barzani and Abadi also included discussions on Iraq’s new cabinet where the Kurdish delegation stressed their right to appoint their own ministers instead of election by the Iraqi premier.
Barzani’s visit to Baghdad coincided with a visit to the Iraqi capital by US Secretary of State John Kerry who met with both Barzani and Abadi ahead of the official meetings between both governments.
Kerry said at a press conference that he had discussed with both prime ministers the country’s financial crisis, adding that his government continues to stand by the Kurdish Peshmerga forces in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS).
According to Iraq’s Kurdish culture minister Firyad Rawanduzi who had knowledge of the contents of the meetings, the Kurdish delegation had promised Kerry that they would participate in the final battle for Mosul on the condition that they would have a role in the war planning and a share in all financial and military support sent to Baghdad.
In return, Rawanduzi said, Kerry pledged that the Kurds would get 17 percent of all aid and support supplied to Baghdad.
