Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Wednesday received Lord Tariq Ahmad, the United Kingdom’s Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and United Nation.

In the meeting, which was also attended by the UK Ambassador to Iraq Mark Bryson-Richardson and Consul General Rosy Cave, Lord Ahmad highlighted the important role of Kurdistan in the region and reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations. He also noted the significant development of the Kurdistan Region since his last visit in 2018.

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani thanked the UK for its continued support for the Kurdistan Region and provided an overview of the KRG’s reforms agenda in the areas of economic diversification, the importance of the agricultural sector, export of local Kurdistani produce to foreign markets, and the digitalization of public services and government affairs.

Both sides discussed the importance of resolving issues between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government. They agreed that solving these issues must be on the basis of the constitution and it’s in the interest of all citizens and components of Iraq.

Prime Minister Barzani described the progress in the negotiations with Baghdad concerning the federal budget for 2023, and noted, this is the first time that the Kurdistan Region is included in the drafting of the federal budget.

He said he hoped that after the budget draft was completed, the Iraqi Parliament would approve the bill as soon as possible.

The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of abiding by the rule of law to maintain a secure and stable region.

Finally, both sides discussed the Sinjar Agreement, the normalization of the situation in the area and the return of internally displaced people’s (IDPs) back to their homes.