Iraq
President Barzani meets with Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad on June 21, 2020. Photo: Office of Nouri-al Malaki
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region —President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani met with the head of Shiite political parties on Sunday in the second day of his visit to Baghdad.
Barzani met with Nouri al-Maliki, former Iraqi Prime Minister and current secretary general of the al-Dawa party to discuss outstanding issues between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
Maliki, who heads the State of Law Coalition in the Iraqi parliament, stressed the need for “continuous dialogue” between the federal government and the KRG to come to a sustainable agreement.
“Maliki called on political parties and the parliament to rush to pass the resolutions that will normalise relations between the federal government and the KRG,” said a statement released by Maliki’s media office on Sunday.
Nechirvan Barzani released a statement on Sunday after he landed back in the Kurdistan Region.
“We all have the same fate, and the problems of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region are the problems of all Iraqis,” reads the statement.
“After the bitter experience of years of differences and problems between the two sides, we must not go back to the past. It is time for us to reach a common understanding and solve the problems once and for all through a comprehensive agreement that satisfies both parties and provides security, stability, justice and progress for the present and future of Iraq.”
The Kurdistan Region’s independent oil sales, budget disagreements, and the issue of the disputed territories continue to be points of contention between Erbil and Baghdad.
Barzani invited Maliki to visit Erbil and work on a firm deal that could be beneficial to both governments.
Barzani also met Hadi al-Ameri, head of the Fatih coalition and Ammar al-Hakim head of Shiite political party al-Hikma.
They discussed the issues between Baghdad and Erbil, and the economic crisis compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sunday marked the second day of Barzani’s visit to Baghdad. On Saturday he met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, President Barham Salih, and parliamentary speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi.
In his meetings with his Iraqi counterparts and other Baghdad authorities, Barzani has frequently reaffirmed the Region's readiness to resolve issues with the federal government
"Erbil and Baghdad are ready to open up all of their [contentious] portfolios in order to overcome the ongoing problems," Kadhimi's adviser Hisham Dawood told Rudaw on Saturday.
"Baghdad's problems are those of Erbil and Erbil's problems are also those of Baghdad. There is a mutual readiness to remove the barriers in the way of reaching a solution," Dawood added.
He added that both sides have agreed to "continue the meetings."
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