Masoud Barzani to make first Baghdad visit since Kurdish referendum

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Former President of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani will visit Baghdad on Thursday to meet with multiple Iraqi political figures, the first such trip since a highly contentious vote on the region's independence was held more than a year ago, a source said on Wednesday.

Barzani, who is currently the President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), will discuss the political process in Iraq and continuing negotiations aimed at resolving longstanding disputes between Erbil and Baghdad, a source from Barzani’s office told Kurdistan 24.

His visit to Baghdad comes after the formation of the new Iraqi federal government headed by Adil Abdul-Mahdi, of which Barzani expressed his support to the new premier.

It will be his first visit to Baghdad since the controversial referendum on independence was held in the Kurdistan Region and disputed territories held on Sept. 25, 2017, and saw a landslide majority favoring secession. Barzani played the leading role in advocating for and holding the vote.

Before this, Barzani met with former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and other Iraqi officials in Baghdad to discuss the referendum, but Abadi later shocked people across Kurdistan with his aggressive response, shortly after the vote was held.

Ties between Erbil and Baghdad deteriorated considerably, with Baghdad sending troops to push Kurdish Peshmerga forces from Iraq's disputed territories and imposing punitive measures like an international travel ban which crippled the economy of the Kurdistan Region.

Relations have been improving over the past few months as the Abdul-Mahdi administration continues to establish itself.

Editing by John J. Catherine