After more than two and a half years of shaky relations with Baghdad, Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani arrived in the Iraqi capital on Thursday.
There are high hopes that this visit would bolster ties between Erbil and Baghdad.
Upon his arrival, Barzani met with Iraq's Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and discussed controversial issues in the aftermath of the Kurdish referendum crisis of September 2017.
During a joint press conference, Abdul Mahdi said that Barzani is a key “engineer in the process of building relations, not just in Iraq, but in the region and world.”
“Our relationship is an old one,” Barzani said, adding “we express our full support for Abdul Mahdi. We will continue to work to improve ties.”
MP Hassan Touran told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that any political deal at the expense of Kirkuk factions is doomed to fail. Political parties tried to make such deals in the past but failed to succeed because the solution has to come from Kirkuk.
Barzani’s visit to Baghdad is a good start to resolve controversial issues, former MP Majid Shingali told Asharq Al-Awsat. Kurds always affirm three standards in dealing with Baghdad - balance, accord, and partnership in decision-making.
Barzani was the president of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region before stepping down, and now he is the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) that won in last September’s legislative elections. However, Baghdad considered the operation illegal after the majority of Kurdistan regions voted in favor of independence last year.
Subsequently, Iraqi armored fighting vehicles headed north to restore disputed regions and imposed economic sanctions. Yet, since naming Abdul Mahdi a prime minister in October, the tension de-escalated between the two parties.
The PM stressed that it is highly important to have good ties between Baghdad and Erbil.
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