SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) is set to meet with the Kurdistan Region political parties separately on Saturday, according to a source familiar with the situation.
A delegation from the PUK leadership council is set to meet with the Gorran “Change” movement, Kurdistan Justice Group, and the Islamic Union of Kurdistan, in Sulaimani, the source said.
The PUK delegation is expected to hold talks regarding the political situation of Iraq, Kurdistan, and the region, with other political parties, according to the source.
Moreover, the PUK delegation will highlight the end result of the meeting with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) that had earlier taken place, the source added.
Last Saturday, both the PUK and KDP met in Sulaimani at the level of the politburo in Sulaimani.
The PUK-KDP meeting came after months of conflictual relations between the two sides. They discussed the disagreements and internal disputes, marking a new round of talks after a while.
The PUK-KDP disagreements have escalated recently over several issues including “inequality” in revenue distribution by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), electoral law amendment as well a “systematic blockade” of Sulaimani by the KRG.
A joint statement following the meeting revealed that both sides agreed to continue the talks regarding the disagreements.
“Views were exchanged regarding the current developments and general situation,” the statement said.
The U.S. consulate general in the Kurdistan Region had earlier “welcomed” the PUK-KDP meeting in Sulaimani.
Moreover, the United Kingdom Consulate general named the PUK-KDP meeting a “Crucial first step to finding common ground.”
