PM Barzani, Plasschaert stress UN’s role in solving outstanding issues, elections

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and the head of the United Nations mission in Iraq in a meeting on Thursday stressed the international organization’s positive role in solving outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad and the upcoming Iraqi elections, according to a press release from the premier’s office.

The meeting between Barzani and Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert came a day after a conference on the Kurdistan Region’s constitution and political unity attended by the Region’s political elite along with foreign diplomats. The talks mainly focused on the nature of a future Kurdish constitution and the necessity of unity for its success.

Barzani and Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN's Iraq Special Representative, discussed the latest state of affairs in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, stressing on resolving the outstanding issues between the two governments on the basis of the federal constitution, the press release said.

The two sides also discussed the “positive role” that the UN can play in resolving Iraq’s lingering issues and the upcoming Iraqi elections.

Hennis-Plasschaert gave a frank speech during Wednesday’s conference in which she touched on the challenges the Region and Iraq face, and the importance of strong political will to tackle them.

“Sustainable democratic societies are the opposite of overnight miracles – they require immense patience and an unwavering willingness to compromise,” she said, adding that the democratic process has to be given time.