President Barzani pledges support Al-Zaidi, urges Peshmerga-Army coordination

Shafaq News- Zakho

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Thursday expressed Erbil's readiness to work with Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi on forming a new Iraqi government grounded in the country's constitution, while calling for renewed military coordination between Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army to counter terrorism.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the third class of 359 second lieutenants at the Second Military College in Zakho, Barzani said the Kurdistan Region looks forward to cooperation with al-Zaidi based on the Iraqi constitution, and remains committed to ensuring the constitutional rights of the Kurdish people while pursuing prosperity and development across Iraq without discrimination. He added that the Region is prepared to resolve outstanding disputes between Baghdad and Erbil through constitutional mechanisms.

"The strength of Baghdad means the strength of the Kurdistan Region, and the strength of the Kurdistan Region is strength for Baghdad."

Regarding the security cooperation between Baghdad and Erbil, Barzani said the Peshmerga, the military forces of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), are a component of Iraq's broader defense architecture, and that the Second Military College falls under the Iraqi Ministry of Defense. "The Peshmerga are not a threat to Iraq, but protectors of the homeland," he said, citing their role in the campaign to liberate Iraq from the Islamic State (ISIS) as evidence of their strategic value in confronting extremism.

On regional security, Barzani said ongoing tensions across the Middle East have affected all parties, and that the Kurdistan Region supports a peaceful resolution of disputes, rejecting any effort to draw Iraq or the Region into regional conflicts.

Read more: The mediator in the room: Barzani comes to Baghdad with more than Erbil's demands