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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States and United Kingdom on Monday hailed the latest meeting between Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and his deputy Qubad Talabani after months of tensions over several issues.
Barzani said on Monday that he hosted Talabani for lunch, adding that “[i]n the spirit of constructive and open dialogue, we discussed issues in the government and agreed on ways to move forward.” His deputy said the meeting was “pleasant and productive.”
US Ambassador to Iraq Alina L. Romanowski said in a tweet late Monday that she welcomes the development.
“I commend the leadership of KRG PM @masrourbarzani and DPM @qubadjt to come together to begin to resolve issues through dialogue. The whole country benefits when its leaders are focused on the needs of the people. Let’s build on the momentum of this significant step forward,” she said.
United States Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf said in a short tweet that the meeting was a “great move.”
Tensions between the Kurdistan Region’s governing parties - Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Talabani’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) - has led to the PUK’s boycotting of weekly government meetings headed by PM Barzani. Talabani, has also stopped attending the meetings of the Council of Ministers for over six months.
Both politicians are senior members of their parties.
The two governing parties have been at loggerheads in recent months over the Region’s parliamentary elections, the transparency of the oil and local income of the provinces under their influence, and the assassination of a former PUK colonel in Erbil in October.
Despite working together in the KRG, the two parties have established control over different parts of the Region, often being referred to as the “Yellow Zone” and “Green Zone“. The KDP is dominant in Erbil and Duhok provinces, while the PUK rules Sulaimani and Halabja.
UK Consul General to Erbil Rosy Cave also said she was “delighted” to see both officials meet.
“I'm delighted to see that the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister met today - an important first step in making progress on key issues through constructive dialogue. A united Kurdistan Regional Government is in the interests of all the people of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. I hope this is the beginning of an agreed process of reconciliation and collaboration that allows the government to function effectively and deliver for the whole region,” she was quoted by her consulate.
The KRG is expected to hold its weekly meeting on Wednesday but it is not clear if the PUK team will attend it.
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