PM Barzani, Italian Envoy Discuss Peshmerga Support, KRG Budget Share
The two officials also discussed recent developments in Iraq and the wider region, as well as outstanding issues between the Kurdistan Region and Iraq’s federal government.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met with Italian Ambassador to Iraq Niccolò Fontana on Wednesday to discuss bilateral relations, continued support for the Peshmerga forces, and the Kurdistan Region’s financial entitlements from Iraq’s federal budget.
According to a statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the meeting focused on strengthening relations between the Kurdistan Region and Italy, with both sides emphasizing the importance of continued Italian support for the Peshmerga forces.
The two officials also discussed recent developments in Iraq and the wider region, as well as outstanding issues between the Kurdistan Region and Iraq’s federal government.
Prime Minister Barzani stressed the importance of protecting the Kurdistan Region’s constitutional rights and securing its financial entitlements and a fair share of Iraq’s 2027 federal budget for the people of the Region.
The meeting also covered Italy’s consular presence in Erbil. Tommaso Sansone, Italy’s Consul General in the Kurdistan Region, briefed the meeting on plans and ongoing work to construct a new building for the Italian Consulate General in Erbil.
Italy has been among the international partners supporting the Peshmerga forces in the fight against Islamic State (ISIS) and has maintained diplomatic and security cooperation with the Kurdistan Region. Discussions over the Region’s share of Iraq’s federal budget remain part of broader negotiations between Erbil and Baghdad over financial and constitutional issues.
