Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met with the leaders of political parties of the Kurdistan Region on Thursday.

At the meeting, attended by the Kurdistan Region Vice Presidents, the developments in Iraq and the greater region, the foreign and diplomatic relations of the Kurdistan Region and the upcoming Iraqi elections were discussed.

President Nechirvan Barzani’s recent visit to France, the Kurdistan Region’s role and position in regards to the new political conditions and the relations between Erbil and Baghdad were highlighted. Discussions also focused on the Iraq-US strategic dialogue including the Kurdistan Region’s participation in the ongoing talks, the developments in the Region and the relations among communities and the political parties.

The meeting reaffirmed the importance of unity and consensus among political parties in order to reach lasting solutions to the differences, and in this regard, the Kurdistan Region Presidency was lauded for its efforts to bring the political parties together.

The passage of the Iraqi Budget Bill was highlighted as a positive step towards improving the relations between the Kurdistan Region and the Federal Government. It was underlined that the implementation of the Budget Bill is essential for the economic recovery in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region with its positive impact on the resolution of the problems between Baghdad and Erbil on the basis of the constitution and within the framework of the federal system.

It was stressed that the current situation in the Kurdistan Region requires unity, national responsibility, cooperation and consensus in order to secure the constitutional rights of the people of Kurdistan Region and preserve their hard won achievements. The importance of the reform process, collective efforts to improve the livelihood of citizens and preserve their freedoms including freedom of expression, and ways to continue joint meetings among all political parties were affirmed.

President Nechirvan Barzani thanked the political parties for accepting his invitation to the meeting and reiterated that the only way to overcome the crises and differences is through collective efforts and unity which also ensures the rights and achievements and preserves the constitutional and federal entity of the Kurdistan Region. The President reaffirmed that the Kurdistan Region Presidency will continue to be a unifying factor for all.