President Barzani received the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Iraq

President Masoud Barzani: The De facto reality imposed on Kirkuk and the other areas is unacceptable On September 2, 2018, President Masoud Barzani received Jan Kubis, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Iraq. During the meeting, President Barzani highlighted the political situation in Iraq and the Region and the efforts being made to hold the first meeting of the Iraqi Council of Representatives and the formation of the government. Jan Kubis, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Iraq, emphasized the importance of Kurdistan Region in the political process in Iraq and the pivotal role of President Barzani in resolving the hurdles in the political process in Iraq. He also expressed to President Barzani the opinion and concern of the United Nations on the political process in Iraq after the elections, calling for a real partnership between all components of Iraq. On his part, President Barzani mentioned the reasons that led to the emergence of problems and the violations of the Constitution which broke partnership in Iraq in the previous period. Stressing that the important priority for the Kurdistan Region is the program and approach to governance. This must be built on the three principles of partnership, consensus and balance. In order to block the path of unilateralism and marginalization of the components, President Barzani stressed the need for clear guarantees and mechanisms for implementing and complying with the agreements, in accordance with the three principles mentioned. As for Kirkuk and other Kurdish areas outside the administration of the Region, President Barzani pointed out that the main priority for the Kurdish parties is to normalize the situation in Kirkuk and other areas through the implementation of the Constitution or a bilateral agreement between the Region and Baghdad. President Barzani also informed Jan Kubis that the current situation imposed by the force of arms and occupation is not acceptable, calling for the need to change the current status through dialogue and understanding.