MP: KRG delegation to visit Baghdad next week

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – An Iraqi MP on Wednesday revealed that a delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) will visit the Iraqi capital Baghdad next week.

Jasim al-Bayati, a parliament member from the State of Law bloc, said a KRG delegation will visit Baghdad to begin dialogue over the outstanding issues between Erbil and the Iraqi government.

Bayati, who has close links with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, told Iraqi media that meetings between the Iraqi government and the KRG will “identify a mechanism for dialogue over the conflicting points and stranded issues.”

According to the MP, there are several issues that will be discussed between Erbil and Baghdad including the federal budget, oil revenues, border crossings, and status of airports.

Meanwhile, following a series of meetings with Kurdish political parties on Tuesday, KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani stated that a visit to Baghdad had not been scheduled yet.

“We will visit Baghdad as a government delegation where all Kurdish political parties in the cabinet shall participate,” the Prime Minister told the press.

“All political parties that were consulted have agreed on three main principles,” PM Barzani said, adding they were all opposed to the formation of two administrations in the Kurdistan Region, supportive of talks with Baghdad, but against any unilateral discussions with the Federal Government of Iraq.

Ties between Erbil and Baghdad have considerably deteriorated since the Kurdistan Region’s Sep. 25 independence vote which saw 93 percent of voters favoring secession.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany