'We will not give up the Kurdistan Region's constitutional rights': PM Barzani
"We will continue dialogue and negotiation with the federal government to reach a comprehensive and constitutional solution to the outstanding problems."
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Prime Minister Masrour Barzani reiterated that the Kurdistan Region will not give up its rights under the Iraqi Constitution during a discussion with an American business delegation on Tuesday.
Barzani received the delegation from the United States-Kurdistan Business Council (USKBC) and representatives from American companies in Erbil.
The delegation consisted of representatives of 12 American companies in the food, energy, technology, and housing sectors. Their visit was organized through coordination between the representation office of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in the US and the USKBC.
At the beginning of the meeting, Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, the representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government to America, briefly presented the visit's objectives.
"We expressed our delight for the delegation's visit and highlighted the reforms initiated by the KRG to diversify sources of income and establish a solid economic structure in the Kurdistan Region," Barzani wrote in a Facebook post.
The prime minister discussed Erbil-Baghdad relations and shed light on the importance of solving all outstanding problems under the constitution.
"We reaffirmed that the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court's decision about the KRG's oil and gas law is unconstitutional," Barzani wrote. "It violates the constitutional rights of the people of Kurdistan and is not in the interest of the Iraqi people."
"We made it clear that we will not give up our constitutional rights," he added. "At the same time, we will continue dialogue and negotiation with the federal government to reach a comprehensive and constitutional solution to the outstanding problems."
At the end of the meeting, the representatives from the American companies briefed the attendees about their work and programs in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
The USKBC is a non-profit trade association based in Washington DC. The association is dedicated to facilitating trade and commerce for American companies in the Kurdistan Region and strengthening ties between the private sector in the US and the Kurdistan Region.
