President Salih and Bafel Talabani discuss Erbil-Baghdad relations
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Barham Salih, the president of the Republic of Iraq, received the co-chair of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Bafel Talabani on Sunday to discuss relations between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal government.
The meeting took place at al-Salam Palace in Baghdad. According to a statement from the Iraqi presidency, “conversations placed emphasis on the need to have further cooperation and coordination between the institutions of the federal government and the KRG to pursue a common vision.”
Months of disputes between Baghdad and Erbil over the Kurdistan Region’s shares of federal funds put a strain on KRG and federal government relations. With the passage of the final budget, the Kurdistan Region was to hand over the revenue for 250,000 barrels of oil to Baghdad in exchange for federal funds.
Hopes were high that the passing of the budget bill would put an end to ongoing tensions and rejuvenate the economy.
“Passing the Iraqi budget is a step toward improving the livelihood of people and reviving the economy,” Salih shared in a tweet back in April.
However, the budget law has yet to be implemented as there are several efforts to reshape the contentious legislation. Some parties in Baghdad are unhappy with the Kurdistan Region’s share and Erbil’s independent oil sales.
Salih and Talabani, nonetheless, agreed that “solutions to unresolved issues between the federal government and the KRG should all be found according to the Iraqi constitution and legal frameworks” as to “serve the country's interest, promote security and stability.”
The meeting took place at al-Salam Palace in Baghdad. According to a statement from the Iraqi presidency, “conversations placed emphasis on the need to have further cooperation and coordination between the institutions of the federal government and the KRG to pursue a common vision.”
Months of disputes between Baghdad and Erbil over the Kurdistan Region’s shares of federal funds put a strain on KRG and federal government relations. With the passage of the final budget, the Kurdistan Region was to hand over the revenue for 250,000 barrels of oil to Baghdad in exchange for federal funds.
Hopes were high that the passing of the budget bill would put an end to ongoing tensions and rejuvenate the economy.
“Passing the Iraqi budget is a step toward improving the livelihood of people and reviving the economy,” Salih shared in a tweet back in April.
However, the budget law has yet to be implemented as there are several efforts to reshape the contentious legislation. Some parties in Baghdad are unhappy with the Kurdistan Region’s share and Erbil’s independent oil sales.
Salih and Talabani, nonetheless, agreed that “solutions to unresolved issues between the federal government and the KRG should all be found according to the Iraqi constitution and legal frameworks” as to “serve the country's interest, promote security and stability.”