PM Barzani meets Iraqi Parliament Speaker and President of Judicial Council

Shafaq News/ On Saturday, Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met Parliament Speaker Muhammad al-Halbousi and President of the Supreme Judicial Council, Faiq Zaidan, in Baghdad.

In a statement, Barzani’s office said that the Barzani-Halbousi meeting was attended by the head of the Al-Siyada Alliance, Khamis al-Khanjar.

During the meeting, they discussed the latest developments in Iraq and Kurdistan and the relations between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government.

The meeting expressed the necessity of addressing the outstanding problems between the Kurdistan Region and the Federal Government based on the constitution, according to the statement.

In turn, Al-Halbousi indicated an opportunity to solve all oil and gas problems by legislating the Federal Oil and Gas Law.

The Prime Minister reiterated the government’s readiness to reach a radical solution to the problems through negotiations and in a condition of preserving the constitutional rights of the Kurdistan Region.

Later, the Prime Minister met with the President of the Supreme Judicial Council, Faiq Zaidan, and discussed the importance of solving problems between the Region and the Federal Government.

Barzani stressed the need to deal with the Kurdistan Region as “a federal and constitutional entity.”

Zaidan affirmed his support for solving problems through dialogue and the constitution because this would be “in the interest of all Iraqi citizens.”

The disputes between Kurdistan and Baghdad are not new. Both sides disagree on many issues, most notably the oil.

The Region’s oil exports have long been a source of contention with Baghdad. The Kurds, who control Iraq’s only northern pipeline, had been exporting oil independently since 2013.

Exports from Kirkuk were restarted in 2018, after a year-long freeze amid post-referendum disputes. In addition, exports from smaller oilfields under the regional government’s control continued.

The governments of Iraq and Kurdistan have agreed on Erbil’s contribution to the 2020 federal budget.

The deal includes a transfer of 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) from the oil-producing Region to Iraq’s national budget in exchange for securing the financial dues of the Region.

However, Kurdistan said the federal government did not keep its promise of sending all financial duties to the Region.