Iraqi PM Sudani arrives in Erbil
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani arrived in Erbil on Tuesday, where he was greeted by the Kurdistan Region’s PM Masrour Barzani, in his first visit to the Region since assuming the Iraqi premiership in October.
Accompanied by a high-level Iraqi federal government delegation, Sudani’s visit to the Region comes a day before he is set to deliver the keynote address for the seventh annual Sulaimani Forum.
In addition to meeting with the Kurdish PM, the Iraqi premier is set to also convene with the Kurdistan Region’s President Nechirvan Barzani and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Leader Masoud Barzani in Erbil separately.
“He [Sudani] will meet with the Kurdish leaders and hold discussions and negotiations, and there is a possibility that they might sign an agreement,” Basim al-Awadi, spokesperson for the Iraqi government, told Rudaw.
Tensions between Erbil and Baghdad have been high over the past months due to disagreements over the legality of the Kurdistan Region’s oil and gas law and the Region’s share of the federal budget.
The Iraqi cabinet approved the federal budget bill for the years of 2023, 2024, and 2025 on Monday, with Sudani stating that Erbil and Baghdad have reached an all-encompassing agreement to resolve outstanding issues.
The American University of Iraq, Sulaimani will host the seventh annual Sulaimani Forum on Wednesday and Thursday, a regional policy forum highlighting contemporary challenges facing Iraq and the wider region.
Iraq 20 years after the invasion of 2003, the impact of the Ukraine war on Iraq and MENA, and climate change and water scarcity are amongst the main themes of this year’s forum.
Accompanied by a high-level Iraqi federal government delegation, Sudani’s visit to the Region comes a day before he is set to deliver the keynote address for the seventh annual Sulaimani Forum.
In addition to meeting with the Kurdish PM, the Iraqi premier is set to also convene with the Kurdistan Region’s President Nechirvan Barzani and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Leader Masoud Barzani in Erbil separately.
“He [Sudani] will meet with the Kurdish leaders and hold discussions and negotiations, and there is a possibility that they might sign an agreement,” Basim al-Awadi, spokesperson for the Iraqi government, told Rudaw.
Tensions between Erbil and Baghdad have been high over the past months due to disagreements over the legality of the Kurdistan Region’s oil and gas law and the Region’s share of the federal budget.
The Iraqi cabinet approved the federal budget bill for the years of 2023, 2024, and 2025 on Monday, with Sudani stating that Erbil and Baghdad have reached an all-encompassing agreement to resolve outstanding issues.
The American University of Iraq, Sulaimani will host the seventh annual Sulaimani Forum on Wednesday and Thursday, a regional policy forum highlighting contemporary challenges facing Iraq and the wider region.
Iraq 20 years after the invasion of 2003, the impact of the Ukraine war on Iraq and MENA, and climate change and water scarcity are amongst the main themes of this year’s forum.