President Barzani, Victoria Taylor Discuss Erbil-Baghdad Ties, Political Process
President Barzani and Taylor also discussed the trajectory of the Kurdistan Region’s political process and efforts to resolve outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad, as well as ways to overcome existing political and administrative challenges.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — President Masoud Barzani on Sunday received Victoria Taylor, Director of the Iraq Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Program, in Erbil’s Pirmam district, with talks focusing on political developments in Iraq and the wider region.
According to a statement from Barzani Headquarters, the meeting addressed the latest political developments and regional dynamics, with a particular emphasis on relations between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Iraqi federal government.
President Barzani and Taylor also discussed the trajectory of the Kurdistan Region’s political process and efforts to resolve outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad, as well as ways to overcome existing political and administrative challenges.
The meeting comes as relations between Erbil and Baghdad continue to center on several longstanding issues, including the Kurdistan Region’s share of the federal budget, public-sector salaries and the management and export of oil.
Taylor’s meeting with President Barzani also comes amid broader political changes in Iraq. The Atlantic Council’s Iraq Initiative has been closely following the country’s government formation and political process, with Taylor participating in discussions on Iraq’s political landscape, its relations with the region, and the future of US-Iraq ties.
The Atlantic Council’s Iraq Initiative focuses on Iraq’s political stability, sovereignty, regional integration, and democratic and economic development, while maintaining engagement with Iraqi political figures and international policymakers.