Kurdistan Region parliamentary elections should be held in 2023, says PM Barzani

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Monday stressed the importance of holding the parliamentary elections on time this year.

Barzani’s remarks came during his meeting with Swedish Ambassador to Iraq Jessica Svardstrom in Erbil, where they discussed the latest political developments in Iraq and Kurdistan Region as well as bilateral relations, according to a statement from the premier’s office.

Discussing domestic political affairs, Barzani stressed the importance of holding the sixth parliamentary elections on November 18, 2023, per the release. 

Regarding Erbil-Baghdad relations, the two officials stressed respecting the existing agreements between the two governments as well as granting the Kurdistan Region’s financial and constitutional entitlements.

They also discussed the bilateral relations between Stockholm and Erbil, it added. 

Despite the challenges faced by Iraq’s Kurdish region, Svardstrom said, the development and reconstruction efforts in the Region are ongoing, per the statement.

Improving conditions as well as providing equal opportunities for women were on the agenda.

Sweden and Kurdistan Region enjoy close diplomatic relations. The former foreign minister of the Scandinavian country, Ann Linde, visited the Kurdish region in November 2021.

The Nordic country is home to a sizeable Kurdish diaspora community.