SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said he hopes the United Nations would continue to help Erbil and Baghdad resolve their suspending issues.
The Region’s president met with Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary-General for Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert in Erbil on Monday.
Barzani expressed “hope the UN would continue to facilitate the resolution of disputes between Erbil and Baghdad,” the Region’s presidency said in a statement.
A KRG delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani has been in Baghdad since December 9 in an effort to reach a final agreement with the federal government over their suspending issues.
Both sides have yet to reach an agreement over their suspending issues, including oil and border crossing revenues.
On Saturday, Iraqi Finance Minister Ali Allawi said Baghdad and Erbil had reached a deal over the federal budget for 2021. The federal government’s officials and the KRG delegation continued negotiations on the Region’s financial entitlements for 2020, he added.
Barzani stressed that “the sustainable resolution of disagreements with Baghdad is essential to stability and peaceful co-existence throughout Iraq,” the Region’s presidency said.
He also “emphasized the critical importance of the Constitution of Iraq as the founding framework to guide and attain the resolution of difficulties and disagreements,” the statement read.
On Sunday, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani accused the federal government of using the KRG’s share of the federal budget as a “political tool” against people of the Kurdistan Region.
“Erbil’s share of the federal budget is being used as a political tool against the people of the Kurdistan Region,” Barzani said during a meeting with Hennis-Plasschaert.
Barzani also called on the United Nations to help Erbil reach a “constitutional agreement” with Baghdad.
