Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani attended an event in Baghdad on Saturday to commemorate Iraq Martyrs Day, marking the assassination of Sayyed Mohammed Baqir Al-Hakim in 2003. President Barzani, alongside several Iraqi leaders including Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani and President Latif Rasheed, participated in the event.

President Barzani is scheduled to hold crucial discussions with Prime Minister Al-Sudani to address unresolved matters between Erbil and Baghdad. The key issues on the agenda include the amendment of Iraq's three-year budget and the formulation of an oil and gas law.

In the face of delays in receiving the Kurdish share from the federal budget, the Iraqi government has provided financial support to Erbil through loans, enabling the region to meet its obligations to civil servants. However, KRG diplomats allege that the budget, adopted in early June, has not been properly implemented by Baghdad. Instead of allocating funds directly to the Kurdish share, the government has reportedly released allowances to cover public salaries.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) contends that the 500 billion dinars (over $384 million) provided by Baghdad thus far is insufficient to meet salary obligations. The state expenditures outlined in the budget, hailed as one of the country’s largest at 198.91 trillion Iraqi dinars ($153 billion), revealed a deficit exceeding 64 trillion dinars (over $48 billion).

President Barzani's meeting with Prime Minister Al-Sudani is expected to delve into these financial challenges and seek viable solutions for the equitable distribution of resources between Erbil and Baghdad. The discussions also aim to foster collaboration on vital matters, including the formulation of an effective oil and gas law.