SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Co-President Bafel Talabani met with U.S. Deputy Special Envoy to Syria David Brownstein in Erbil on Sunday.
Talabani and Brownstein discussed the latest developments in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and Syria as well as Islamic State (ISIS) remnants and the role of U.S.-led Coalition forces in the region’s stability and security, the PUK co-leader’s office said in a statement.
Talabani explained the PUK’s views and stance about the developments and changes in the Region and Iraq, stressing on cooperation between the political parties, the statement read.
He also said the approval of Iraq’s federal budget for 2021 was a “positive step”, the statement said.
On March 31, the Iraqi parliament approved the federal budget of 130 trillion Iraqi dinars ($89.65 billion) as the country wrestles with an economic and financial crisis due to low crude prices.
After months of wrangling, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the central government reached an agreement on thorny issues, including oil and non-oil revenues.
Under the 2021 budget law, the Kurdistan Region will be committed to produce 460,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd).
After deducting expenses for production operations in the Region, transport of oil and the domestic consumption of crude oil, the KRG must hand over to Baghdad revenues generated from regional oil exports of 250,000 bpd, according to Iraq’s SOMO pricing, as well as 50 percent of non-oil revenue.
The Kurdistan Region, in return, will receive its share of the budget, which is set at 13.9%.
Regarding the issue of Kurds in northern Syria, Talabani said the PUK was with mutual discussion to protect the rights of Kurds, according to the statement.
Talabani “considers talks and dialogue as the only way to solve issues,” his office said.
He showed the PUK’s readiness to build a “future filled with peace and tranquility for Rojava Kurds and all people of Syria,” referring to Kurdish areas in northeastern Syria.
Talabani and Brownstein also discussed cooperation and assistance between the Peshmerga forces and the Coalition forces, the statement read. They agreed on support and coordination to overcome the security issues and to confront ISIS remnants.
