Joint Press Conference by Kurdistan Region PM Masrour Barzani and al-Halbusi
Kurdistan Region prime minister Masrour Barzani and the Taqadum Party leader said stronger political coordination is needed to help Iraq navigate regional challenges.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and Taqadum Party leader Mohammed al-Halbousi reaffirmed their support for Iraq’s federal government and stressed the importance of closer political coordination to confront regional and domestic challenges during a joint press conference in Erbil.
Speaking at the joint press conference on Thursday, Prime Minister Barzani welcomed Halbousi and his accompanying delegation before outlining the issues discussed during their meeting.
Prime Minister Barzani: We will continue supporting the federal government
"I welcome Mohammed al-Halbousi, leader of the Taqadum Party, and his accompanying delegation," Barzani said.
He added: "We discussed our bilateral relations and our relations with the Taqadum Party, as well as how we can cooperate and coordinate, especially under these sensitive circumstances and the situation that Iraq and the region are currently going through."
Prime Minister Barzani continued: "What is needed is that we should cooperate with the current government of Ali al-Zaidi so that it can manage all the crises the region is going through. We will continue supporting the federal government, and we are ready for every form of cooperation with our partners in Iraq."
Halbousi: Our priority is the higher national interest
Halbousi said the meeting was a continuation of previous discussions held with Barzani in Baghdad.
"I am pleased to meet once again with Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani to continue the discussions we previously held in Baghdad," he said.
He added: "We will also meet with President Barzani to discuss the importance of strengthening relations among the political parties in order to preserve the institutions of the state while taking into consideration the economic and security conditions Iraq is going through."
Halbousi also reaffirmed his support for the federal government and Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi.
"We reaffirm our support for the federal government and Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi in implementing the government's program and preserving the country's stability," he said.
He concluded: "It is our responsibility, as a political force, to stay away from political disputes and disagreements that may have existed in the past. We must work more for the interests of the citizens. There may have been political disagreements before, but today we are talking about the higher national interest, and that requires us to have a unified position."