Kurdistan Region President, Iraqi Premier discuss Erbil-Baghdad ties

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Saturday discussed Erbil-Baghdad relations with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Baghdad, according to a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency. 

In the meeting, both sides discussed their common views on all national issues and the implementation of the Iraqi federal government's agenda in all areas.

The two parties stressed the commitment of the Iraqi government to provide services and meet the demands of the Kurdistan Region and Iraqi citizens and agreed on the need for the support of Iraqi and Kurdistan Region institutions.

The meeting stressed the importance of supporting all Iraqi political forces and parties in the reform steps of the federal government to promote full development in the country.

In the absence of paying the Kurdish share of the federal budget, the Iraqi government has released several payments as loans to Erbil for it to be able to pay its civil servants.

Since its adoption in early June, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) diplomats have alleged the budget has not been implemented properly by the government. Instead of paying the Kurdish share, they allege Baghdad has released allowances to Erbil to cover public salaries.

Hailed as one of the country’s biggest budgets, state expenditures were set at 198.91 trillion Iraqi dinars ($153 billion), with a deficit of more than 64 trillion dinars (over $48 billion).