Iraqi President Fuad Masum meets with predecessor Jalal Talabani

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Iraqi President Fuad Masum arrived in Sulaimani on Wednesday and met with former Iraqi president and current Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Jalal Talabani, according to a government statement Wednesday. 

Masum carried greeting messages to Talabani from earlier visits with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Masum also congratulated Talabani on the 40th anniversary of the PUK, and commented on Talabani’s health status.

Talabani suffered a stroke in 2012 and has frequently received treatment in Germany.

“Talabani’s health concerns all Iraqi parties, and the existence of Talabani in the political arena in Iraq will have a positive outcome in solving pending issues in the country,” said Masum, according to the statement.

Masum is also expected to meet Kurdistan region President Masoud Barzani Thursday to discuss “a range of political and security issues in the Kurdistan region and Iraq,” Khalid Shwani, a spokesman for the Iraqi presidency, told Rudaw Tuesday.