Salahadin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (krp.org)- President Masoud Barzani received a United Nations delegation headed by Mr. Nickolay Mladenov, the Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary General for Iraq. During the meeting, President Barzani and Mr. Mladenov discussed the latest political and security developments in Iraq and the most recent military advanced against the terrorists of the Islamic State by the Kurdistan Region and Iraqi forces.

President Barzani stated that the fight against the terrorists of the Islamic State remains of the utmost priority to the Kurdistan Region. On the matter of relations with Baghdad, President Barzani expressed his optimism and added that the differences will soon be resolved between Erbil and Baghdad.

Special Representative Mladenov agreed on the urgency of the fight against the terrorists of the Islamic State and the need for even stronger collective efforts to defeat the terrorists. Furthermore, Mr. Mladenov commended the Peshmerga forces and President Barzani for their latest successes against the terrorists.

Mr. Mladenov took the opportunity to bid his farewell as he will soon take on a new task in Jerusalem. President Barzani expressed his gratitude for Mr. Nladenov's cooperation and wished him continued success in his new task.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, (KRG.org) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, on Thursday met the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General in Iraq and Head of UN Assistance Mission in Iraq, UNAMI, Nickolay Mladenov.

A number of key issues were discussed in the meeting, including the plight of internally displaced people and refugees who have taken refuge in the Kurdistan Region. Kurdistan Regional Government’s role in accommodating and assisting them, particularly during the current cold weather, was also stressed in the meeting.

The two sides agreed that given KRG’s limited resources, the Iraqi federal government and the international community have to, urgently play a larger role in helping the displaced and refugees, and that the UN is to urge and encourage the international community to take serious steps in this issue.

Mladenov expressed his satisfaction regarding the recent agreement reached between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government of Iraq on oil export and budgetary issues, and reiterated the United Nations readiness to support this agreement and assist in resolving all the outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad.

Prime Minister Barzani expressed his hope that this agreement will pave the way to resolving all the issues with Baghdad, adding that it could be regarded as a catalyst for a comprehensive settlement that would be in the interest of all Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

The military situation, the fight against the Islamic State terrorist organization, known as ISIS, and the formation of an Iraqi national guard were topics also discussed in the meeting.

The two sides highlighted the necessity for national reconciliation in Iraq and expressed their hope that the various Iraqi parties will deal with the entire situation in a national spirit.

Erbil, Kurdistan (KRG.org) - In a meeting held yesterday with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov, KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani reiterated that the Kurdistan Region is committed to all international obligations related to Iraq. This includes Iraq's commitment to compensate countries through oil revenues, as per relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The latest developments in relations between Erbil and Baghdad, energy issues, efforts to finalize the KRG's eighth cabinet, and the Iraq government formation process were topics of discussion in the meeting. The Prime Minister emphasized that the KRG oil policy is fully in line with the federal constitution of Iraq.

The UN Special Representative stressed the need for genuine effort to form a new Iraqi government as soon as possible through dialogue and agreement among the country's various political parties. He also offered his congratulations to the people of the Kurdistan Region for the agreement that has led to the formation of the KRG's eighth cabinet.