Prime Minister Barzani: Kurdish ministers will begin work in Baghdad after Eid al-Adha holiday
The Speaker summarised for the Prime Minister his meeting with Kurdistan Parliament Speaker Dr Yousif Mohammed and heads of the Kurdistan Parliament’s blocs. He expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the government and the people of the Kurdistan Region for their efforts in relieving the suffering of such a large number of displaced people and refugees. He noted that he is well informed of the difficult conditions faced by the displaced as well as the social, educational, and health challenges brought about by the large number of these displaced civilians.
Both sides discussed the economic crisis in Kurdistan, a result of the decision by the previous Iraqi cabinet to cut the Kurdistan Region’s budget since the beginning of 2014. The Speaker said that salaries of government employees and civil servants should not be dealt with as a political issue.
Prime Minister Barzani welcomed the delegation, stating that their visit to the Region is meaningful and that he considers it a demonstration of support for the Kurdistan Region.
He emphasised that what is occurring in Iraq affects all of Iraq and all of its communities, and that all sides should work together to confront ISIS terrorists and address all issues. Neither Baghdad nor Erbil can settle these problems alone.
The Prime Minister said that ISIS is an organisation that has no religion and is the enemy of all Iraqi communities, and emerged not only as a consequence of a military problem, but also due to political problems. The organisation grew as a result of failed policies pursued in Iraq. He added that no ethnic, religious, or sectarian component of Iraq welcomes the presence of ISIS in the country and that everyone is affected by the presence of the terrorists.
Prime Minister Barzani expressed his appreciation for the visit of Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Saleh Mutlaq, who visited the Kurdistan Region twice and has closely followed the situation of displaced people sheltered in the Region. He also reiterated the need for the Iraqi Government to better contribute to the welfare of these displaced people, to become seriously involved, and to assume its responsibilities and implement its duties. Iraq should not deal with this issue as if it were one of the donor countries, but should carry out tasks jointly with the KRG.
Regarding the political process, the Prime Minister stated that the Kurdistan Region will participate in the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Dr Abadi, and Kurdish ministers will travel to Baghdad after the Eid al-Adha holiday to begin their work. He added that this is an opportunity to address outstanding problems and support the new government in order to resolve these problems through dialogue and mutual understanding.
Prime Minister Barzani recalled that Iraq’s past experiences have proven that the logic of responding to force with further force has not been constructive and has always failed. The Iraqi Government should not deal with Iraq’s communities on the basis of this logic. He expressed his willingness to visit Baghdad or receive Prime Minister Abadi in Erbil in order to resolve problems and to ensure that no one in Iraq would again be able to cut the Kurdistan Region’s budget and employee salaries through a unilateral decision.
