Iraq
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani speaking at the Sulaimani Forum in the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) on March 15, 2023. Photo: Sudani's office
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia‘ al-Sudani on Wednesday commended the successes of Iraq in tackling its political and economic challenges since his cabinet took office around five months ago, particularly praising the approval of the budget bill and efforts to combat corruption.
Sudani arrived in the Kurdistan Region’s city of Sulaimani to take part in the Sulaimani forum at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS), where he delivered a keynote speech at the regional policy event highlighting contemporary challenges facing Iraq and the region.
“For the first time, we succeeded in a scientific manner to approve the budget for three years,” Sudani said, referring to the approval of the budget bill for three consecutive years by the Iraqi Council of Ministers on Monday.
While further praising his government, Sudani stated that his cabinet was able to achieve a “considerable proportions” of the ministerial program during five months since taking office.
“The budget is an important key amongst the keys that open the pathways for solution,” the Iraqi premier added, further praising the approval of a budget bill after a one-year absence in which Iraq had to rely on the 2021 budget as well as an emergency food and developmental security law.
Touching on Erbil-Baghdad disputes, Sudani called on Iraqi officials and leaders to stay away from the language of “outstanding problems” and instead work together towards ensuring that complete agreements are reached with the Kurdistan Region.
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 Kurdistan Region’s share of the new budget bill is 12.6 percent, according to the Iraqi premier. The cabinet has also deposited a payment of 400 billion dinars to the Region’s coffers for the months of November and December of last year.
After approving the budget law on Monday, Sudani stated that Erbil and Baghdad have reached an all-encompassing agreement to resolve outstanding issues, a statement highly welcomed by Kurdish leaders such as Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, who on Tuesday said that Sudani’s “goodwill is recognized and important to restoring trust.”
Alongside fiscal matters, Sudani reiterated his commitment to combat corruption in the country.
“Corruption is a dangerous threat to the Iraqi state. It threatens all the plans, operations, and policies,” he said.
Since taking office in October, Sudani has repeatedly labeled the fight against corruption in Iraq as one of his foremost priorities.
With the 35th anniversary of the Halabja chemical attack approaching, Sudani welcomed a decision he oversaw to elevate the status of Halabja to a province, making it Iraq’s 19th and latest province.
“We are near the anniversary of a terrible tragedy … committed by the dictatorial Baathist regime against our oppressed Kurdish people,” he said. “Two days ago, we at the Council of Ministers passed a bill establishing Halabja as a province, which is the least we can offer to recognize the huge sacrifices.”
On the last days of the eight-year-long Iran-Iraq war, warplanes of the former regime of Saddam Hussein rained down a lethal cocktail of chemical weapons on the city of Halabja, killing at least 5,000 people, mostly women and children, and injuring thousands of others. The event, which was recognized as an act of genocide by Iraq's High Court in 2010, has left a permanent scar in the historical memory of the Kurdish people.
The Iraqi Council of Ministers on Monday officially approved Halabja as the country’s 19th province three days before the 35th anniversary of the horrific chemical attack on the city at the hands of the former Baathist government.
Sudani arrived in the Kurdistan Region’s city of Sulaimani to take part in the Sulaimani forum at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS), where he delivered a keynote speech at the regional policy event highlighting contemporary challenges facing Iraq and the region.
“For the first time, we succeeded in a scientific manner to approve the budget for three years,” Sudani said, referring to the approval of the budget bill for three consecutive years by the Iraqi Council of Ministers on Monday.
While further praising his government, Sudani stated that his cabinet was able to achieve a “considerable proportions” of the ministerial program during five months since taking office.
“The budget is an important key amongst the keys that open the pathways for solution,” the Iraqi premier added, further praising the approval of a budget bill after a one-year absence in which Iraq had to rely on the 2021 budget as well as an emergency food and developmental security law.
Touching on Erbil-Baghdad disputes, Sudani called on Iraqi officials and leaders to stay away from the language of “outstanding problems” and instead work together towards ensuring that complete agreements are reached with the Kurdistan Region.
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 Kurdistan Region’s share of the new budget bill is 12.6 percent, according to the Iraqi premier. The cabinet has also deposited a payment of 400 billion dinars to the Region’s coffers for the months of November and December of last year.
After approving the budget law on Monday, Sudani stated that Erbil and Baghdad have reached an all-encompassing agreement to resolve outstanding issues, a statement highly welcomed by Kurdish leaders such as Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, who on Tuesday said that Sudani’s “goodwill is recognized and important to restoring trust.”
Alongside fiscal matters, Sudani reiterated his commitment to combat corruption in the country.
“Corruption is a dangerous threat to the Iraqi state. It threatens all the plans, operations, and policies,” he said.
Since taking office in October, Sudani has repeatedly labeled the fight against corruption in Iraq as one of his foremost priorities.
With the 35th anniversary of the Halabja chemical attack approaching, Sudani welcomed a decision he oversaw to elevate the status of Halabja to a province, making it Iraq’s 19th and latest province.
“We are near the anniversary of a terrible tragedy … committed by the dictatorial Baathist regime against our oppressed Kurdish people,” he said. “Two days ago, we at the Council of Ministers passed a bill establishing Halabja as a province, which is the least we can offer to recognize the huge sacrifices.”
On the last days of the eight-year-long Iran-Iraq war, warplanes of the former regime of Saddam Hussein rained down a lethal cocktail of chemical weapons on the city of Halabja, killing at least 5,000 people, mostly women and children, and injuring thousands of others. The event, which was recognized as an act of genocide by Iraq's High Court in 2010, has left a permanent scar in the historical memory of the Kurdish people.
The Iraqi Council of Ministers on Monday officially approved Halabja as the country’s 19th province three days before the 35th anniversary of the horrific chemical attack on the city at the hands of the former Baathist government.
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