ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani arrived in Baghdad on Sunday to attend a meeting of the ruling State Administration Coalition alongside top Iraqi politicians.
“President Nechirvan Barzani will discuss the issues between Erbil and Baghdad with Iraqi officials,” read a statement from the president’s office.
Dilshad Shahab, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region Presidency, told Rudaw on Thursday that Barzani would meet with the coalition and hold discussions with political parties.
The coalition is made up of political parties that have supported the current Iraqi cabinet, including the ruling political parties of the Kurdistan Region.
The meeting takes place at a time when the ongoing disputes between Erbil and Baghdad over the Kurdish region's share in the federal budget remain unresolved.
Baghdad has not yet paid the December salaries of Kurdistan Region’s civil servants, and it remains unclear whether the payment will be made.
“Nechirvan Barzani's presence is very important, and as I said and repeat, he is a key member of the state administration coalition,” Ali al-Defai, the spokesperson of the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq told Rudaw on Sunday.
He added that Barzani’s participation in the coalition’s discussions provides a valuable opportunity to resolve pending problems, particularly those affecting the Kurdistan Region, such as budget disputes and strengthening Baghdad-Erbil ties.
The president’s office told Rudaw that President Barzani is scheduled to meet with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, and Faiq Zidan, president of Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council.
Rudaw has also learned that Barzani will meet with prominent Iraqi politicians, including former Iraqi Prime Minister and head of the State of Law coalition Nouri al-Maliki, Ammar al-Hakim, leader of the National Wisdom Movement, and other key Shiite figureheads.
Updated at 8:26 pm.
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