ShafaqNews/ President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, arrived in theIraqi capital, Baghdad on Sunday for a two-day visit to address critical issuesbetween the federal government and the Kurdistan Region.
ShafaqNews correspondent reported that Barzani is set to meet with senior government officialsand political leaders and will participate in a meeting of the “StateAdministration Coalition.”
Barzani’sagenda focuses on resolving long-standing disputes, including delayed salarypayments for Kurdistan Region employees, amending Article 12 of the federal budgetlaw, and restarting oil exports through the Turkish Ceyhan pipeline.
Earlier today, observers have described the visit as a “last opportunity” forBaghdad to address these challenges, warning that failure to find solutionscould prompt the Kurds to “withdraw from Iraq’s political process.”
Notably, the salary crisis has deeplyimpacted the Kurdistan Region, sparking strikes and shutdowns inAl-Sulaymaniyah, with schools, universities, and government offices disrupted.The issue, tied to federal budget allocations and the Region’s oil revenuecontributions, has persisted for years.
After halting oil exports through theCeyhan port, Baghdad began providing loans to cover salaries.
In 2024, the Federal Supreme Courtdirected the federal government to pay salaries directly to employees tomitigate delays.