PM Barzani praises ‘positive’ dialogue between leading political parties

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Prime Minister Masrour Barzani chaired on Wednesday a virtual Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet meeting during which he welcomed developments during a recent round of dialogue between the region's leading political parties.

Barzani praised the "positive atmosphere and understanding" that came as a result of the talks, which aim "to eliminate domestic [political] tensions," the prime minister's office said in a statement. He also described the meetings as "an important step" for unity.

Dialogue

The statement comes two days after Barzani held a meeting with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Co-Chair, Bafel Talabani, to discuss the state of ties between top political parties and their support for the prime minister's cabinet.

PUK and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), of which Prime Minister Barzani is a senior member, are two of the leading members of the 9th KRG cabinet.

In the Talabani-Barzani meeting, the PUK Co-chair "reiterated his party's support for the coalition cabinet," and added that "disputes between political parties should not affect public institutions," a statement from Barzani's office said.

Read More: PUK affirms support for KRG; political disputes must not affect governance: Co-chair Talabani

Talabani noted that "Kurdistan Region's achievements are the result of political unity," and called on different parties "to settle differences through dialogue."

Barzani, from his end, stated that "the KRG represents the whole of Kurdistan Region, and encouraged all parties in the government to support its stated agenda."

Ministers in Parliament

During his virtual cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Barzani also thanked ministers and officials, who attended a Tuesday parliamentary session, for their coordination and teamwork, the release added.

"There is much still to do to reform our public finances and put our economy on a stronger footing, but by continuing to work as one team we will succeed," he said in a tweet about the meeting.

The region's legislature recently invited several ministers to a parliamentary session to discuss the current difficulties Kurdistan is facing, including the coronavirus outbreak, the economic crisis, ongoing dialogue between KRG and the federal Iraqi government, and the general situation in Kurdistani areas outside the KRG.

The ministers briefed the cabinet on the questions and notes of lawmakers regarding the topics in question.

"The discussions and dialogues are ongoing between the regional and federal government," Prime Minister Barzani told the virtual meeting. He added that Erbil hopes that "soon" following the Eid al-Adha, both governments would reach a "balanced" understanding that takes into consideration the interests of both sides.

The premier stressed that the KRG would continue its plans and efforts to overcome the economic crisis, particularly prioritizing the salaries of public sector employees.

The cabinet also discussed preventative measures against the coronavirus during the Eid al-Adha holidays. The meeting authorized the operation rooms of different provinces to order steps to combat the further spread of the virus as required, the statement concluded.

Editing by Khrush Najari