Barzani, Al-Sudani stress ‘national unity’ to overcome Iraq’s crisis

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia Al-Sudani on Tuesday stressed “national unity” to overcome the country’s pressing challenges, an official statement read.

Barzani conducted his first official visit to Baghdad after the inauguration of the new Iraqi government in October to meet with the country’s top officials to discuss the outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad.

Both sides stressed national unity and cooperation to overcome the economic challenges as well as issues of livelihoods and services, according to a statement from Barzani’s office.

Al-Sudani reiterated that his government is committed to the implementation of Iraq’s constitution as a basis for resolving the lingering issues between Erbil and Baghdad in a manner that protects every component’s interests.

Both officials also highlighted the country’s border security, stressing the cooperation between Erbil and Baghdad to protect Iraq’s sovereignty and rejecting the repeated violations. They also agreed that Iraq will not be a threat to its neighbors.

The Kurdish president is set to meet with his Iraqi counterpart Latif Rasheed and the head of the judiciary, Fayaq Zedan, in Baghdad as part of his official visit.

 The disputed territories between Erbil and Baghdad as well as energy management are at the forefront of the outstanding issues between the two governments.

A top Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) official has recently told Kurdistan 24 that a government official will visit Baghdad to begin negotiations on the issues with Iraq’s new government.

Al-Sudani’s government has previously announced that it would work to send an oil and gas bill to the parliament within six months. Erbil has previously called for the enactment of a hydrocarbon law, in the absence of which, the Kurdish authorities have argued the energy disputes between the governments had persisted.