Presidency of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

President Nechirvan Barzani meets with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdulmahdi

2020-01-11T08:02:03.000000Z
Internal relations
Erbil, 11 January, 2020

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdulmahdi reiterated that Iraq should not become a battleground for settling rivalries among regional and international powers. They also emphasized that Iraq’s relations with other countries must be on the bases of mutual interest and respect for the sovereignty of Iraq. They underlined that all sides should work together to prevent further escalation of the situation while restoring peace and stability, and that the interests of Iraq are the priority for all parties.

On Saturday, January 11, the Iraqi caretaker Prime Minister Adil Abdulmahdi arrived in Erbil and was received by President Nechirvan Barzani and they convened a meeting.

In the meeting, the situation in Iraq and the aftermath of the latest events and developments after the start of the new year were discussed. The tensions between the United States and Iran and the ongoing demonstrations in Iraq and the country’s relations with neighboring countries were also put to discussion. The two sides also discussed the pending issues between Baghdad and Erbil and ways to solve the problems.

The president and the prime minister also spoke about the importance of the continuation of international community’s cooperation and support for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in the war against terrorism. The risk of resurgence of terror and the recent movements of ISIS terrorists in Iraq, especially in the areas between the Peshmarga forces and Iraqi armed forces were also discussed. The two sides also reiterated the significance of cooperation and support between the Peshmarga and the Iraqi army.