Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani greets Iraqi caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi in Erbil on January 11, 2020. Photo: Kurdistan Presidency
HEWLÊR-Erbil, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— Iraq’s caretaker prime minister Adel Abdul Mahdi arrived in Kurdistan capital city of Erbil on Saturday to meet with senior Kurdish officials about recent developments in Iraq and the Region, including tensions between Iran and the US and the future of his government in Baghdad.
Abdul Mahdi was received at the airport by Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani. He is expected to visit Sulaimani city as well.
In their meeting, Barzani and Abdul Mahdi stressed that “Iraq should not be turned into a field for regional and international conflicts,” according to a readout from the president’s office.
“The importance of the continuation of international aid and support for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in the fight against terrorism, threats of terror resurgence, and ISIS terrorist activities in Iraq, especially areas located between Peshmerga and Iraqi forces, were also discussed in the meeting,” the statement added.
The federal delegation included Finance Minister Fuad Hussein, Foreign Minister Muhammad Ali al-Hakim, Minister of Planning Nuri al-Dulaimi, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Qusay al-Suhail, and head of the intelligence service Mustafa al-Kazemi.
The governments in Erbil and Baghdad do not agree on the status of foreign forces in Iraq.
Iraqi lawmakers passed a non-binding resolution on Sunday, calling for the expulsion of foreign forces after the United States killed ten people in a drone strike in Baghdad airport on January 3, including Qasem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy leader of Iraq’s Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), locally known as the Hashd al-Shaabi.
The measure passed with Shiite support only after Kurds and some Sunnis boycotted the parliamentary session. The Kurdish leadership in Erbil argued that the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) is not over yet and Iraq still needs the help of American and coalition forces.
Erbil has sought to stay neutral, maintaining contact with allies in both Washington and Tehran.
Abdul Mahdi resigned from his post in late 2019 following months of protests against the government, but he remains premier in a caretaker role as the Shiite blocs – which hold the most seats in the parliament – have failed to agree on a replacement that is also acceptable to the protesters.
Days before Abdul Mahdi offered his resignation, Erbil and Baghdad reached an agreement to resolve the Kurdistan Region’s failure to transfer 250,000 barrels of crude oil per day to Baghdad. With the caretaker prime minister poised to remain in office for the foreseeable future, but dogged by questions about the authority of his government, it remains to be seen whether Erbil will remain committed to that agreement, having abrogated last year’s budget law.
Abdul Mahdi also met with Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and Barzani’s cabinet.
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