Barzani Receives Iraqi Parliament Speaker to Discuss Next Government in Baghdad

president of ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Masoud Barzani, on Sunday received Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi in Erbil to discuss the current situation in the country, including the formation of a new government in Baghdad.

Barzani and Halbousi issued a joint statement to emphasize that need for cooperation to help Iraq’s stability and addressing the prolonged issues in the country, including the ongoing protests in Baghdad and other southern provinces.

“The next government of Iraq should reflect [the will] of all the components of Iraq, and it should be based on national partnership,” reads the joint statement.

The Kurdish leader and Iraqi speaker also stressed that the incoming government should set a clear plan to hold a snap election which has long been called for by protesters across Iraq.

According to the joint statement, Barzani and Halbousi also agreed that the new government in Baghdad should end foreign interventions in Iraq’s internal affairs, and it should limit access to arms only to the forces under the control of the state.

“The cooperations with Global Coalition forces should continue in line with the supports to counter the threat of terrorism and eliminate the remnants of the Islamic State,” the joint statement added.