PM Masrour Barzani calls for ‘fundamental’ solution for Erbil-Baghdad disputes

The statement came during a meeting between Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in Erbil.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday stressed the importance of arriving at a 'fundamental' solution for outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad during a meeting with his Iraqi counterpart Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

Barzani received Kadhimi Thursday morning at the Erbil International Airport alongside a top federal government delegation. The Iraqi premier first met with Masoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and former president of the Kurdistan Region.

The Iraqi delegation consisted of the foreign, defense, oil, and immigration ministers. The visit marks Kadhimi's first to Erbil after he assumed office as premier in early May, replacing his predecessor, Adil Abdul Mahdi, who stepped down in the face of unprecedented pressure after months of protests.

The Kurdish Prime Minister noted that "budget and salaries are not the only issues between federal and regional governments," read a statement from his office. It added that Barzani also called for a "fundamental" solution to all Erbil-Baghdad disputes based on the Iraqi Constitution.

Other disputes between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal Iraqi government include the region's share of the national budget, the entitlements of the Peshmerga forces, the export of oil, and the disputed areas covered by article 140 of the Iraqi constitution.

In all parts of Iraq, "the salaries of [government] employees are a fair right of people and should not be dragged into political issues," Barzani noted during the meeting, the statement said.

Prime Minister Kadhimi's visit comes as the two governments grapple with low oil prices, the coronavirus pandemic, and the ongoing threat of the so-called Islamic State in territories disputed between the regional and federal governments.

Prime Minister Barzani expressed KRG's "willingness" to solve all lingering issues, including oil, budget, disputed territories, and financial and constitutional entitlements of Peshmerga forces in a way that is "in the interest of all of Iraq's people," the release noted.

With terror attacks continuing to cause instability in the disputed territories, Prime Minister Barzani insisted on "activating a joint security mechanism between the Iraqi army and Peshmerga forces" in the Kurdistani areas outside of the region to combat the threat of terrorism.

"In the warm exchange, Prime Minister Al-Kadhimi stated that the high-level visit to the Kurdistan Region demonstrates his cabinet’s readiness to resolve problems and establish a new and strong foundation in relations with Erbil," the KRG statement noted.

Kadhimi also "expressed his personal optimism that both parties will overcome the current challenges, pointing to the positive, mutual understanding."

Kadhimi's visit comes after months of back and forth by KRG and Iraqi government delegations to work on settling longstanding disputes.

Read More: Kurdistan delegation returns to Baghdad for negotiations with federal gov't

Editing by Khrush Najari