Prime Minister Barzani Meets Former PM Abdul-Mahdi as Talks on Kurdistan's Rights Take Center Stage
The former Iraqi prime minister praised President Masoud Barzani's historic leadership and called on Baghdad to align with the emerging US-Iran agreement.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Former Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi on Sunday affirmed that the people of the Kurdistan Region have the full right to determine their own fate, following a meeting in Baghdad with Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.
According to a statement published on the Kurdistan Regional Government's official website, Abdul-Mahdi opened the meeting by underlining the importance of the Kurdistan Region's standing and offering praise for the historical role and leadership of President Masoud Barzani, describing him as a national leader of significance for Kurdistan, Iraq, and the broader region.
Abdul-Mahdi also highlighted the importance of Prime Minister Barzani's visit to Baghdad itself, saying it would play a positive role in resolving outstanding issues and bringing political parties closer together through dialogue and mutual understanding.
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, for his part, expressed gratitude for Abdul-Mahdi's support and his friendly stance toward the legitimate and constitutional rights of the people of Kurdistan.
'The Kurdish people have the right to decide'
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Abdul-Mahdi showed his support for Kurdish rights. "People must decide their own fate," he said. "The people of the Kurdistan Region, like all other peoples, are an authentic component of this region with deep roots in this land, and therefore they have the full right to self-determination."
Abdul-Mahdi also used the press statement to address the shifting geopolitical landscape, saying Iraq must move in step with the emerging agreement between Washington and Tehran and adapt to the changes it brings.
On the question of foreign military presence, he was direct: "The presence of foreign forces in Iraq is not right." In the same breath, however, he described attacks on the peoples of the region as equally wrong.
The former prime minister criticized strikes on Gaza and Iran, while also characterizing Iranian strikes on the region as "wrong," calling for a resolution to those tensions through political means.
The meeting with Abdul-Mahdi formed part of Prime Minister Barzani's broader two-day program in Baghdad, during which he has held a series of meetings with Iraqi leadership figures and heads of major political alliances. Further engagements were scheduled for Sunday.