Kurdistan delegation led by President Barzani to visit Baghdad

A top-level Kurdistan Region delegation headed by President Masoud Barzani will visit Baghdad on Thursday for political talks with Iraqi authorities.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – A top-level Kurdistan Region delegation headed by President Masoud Barzani will visit Baghdad on Thursday for political talks with Iraqi authorities.

According to Kurdistan24 sources, several political party leaders will accompany the Region delegation in the visit to Baghdad.

The group will mainly discuss the Mosul liberation operation and Kurdistan’s independence with authorities in Baghdad.

The Kurdish delegation headed by President Barzani includes Kosrat Rasool Ali, Kurdistan Region vice president, and representatives of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), and Kurdistan Socialist Party.

Gorran (Change) Movement led by Nawshirwan Mustafa, and Islamic Group Party, led by Ali Bapir, refused to join the delegation.

The representatives are expected to meet with the Iraqi PM and President as well as other Iraqi officials and leaders of political parties.

Muhammed Ahmed, Assistant Leader of the KIU, told Kurdistan24 the talks between the Kurdistan Region and the Iraqi government would be under the supervision of the international community.

Abadi said on Monday in a press conference that President Barzani would visit Baghdad in the next few days to discuss several topics, especially the upcoming Mosul operation.

There are several disputes between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Iraqi Federal Government mainly over oil revenue and the national budget.

Additionally, the disputed territories that are currently protected by Peshmerga forces after the retreat of the Iraqi army when the Islamic State (IS) took control are a subject of conflict.

The Kurdistan Region leaders state the people and leadership of the Region have lost patience and cannot wait 11 more years without reaching solutions with the stranded disputes between Erbil and Baghdad.

Therefore, according to the KRG media spokesperson Sami Argoshi, who accompanied a government delegation to Baghdad in late August, the KRG delegation had an “open and frank” discussion on the independence referendum with Iraqi officials.

 

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany