Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday for his first visit in six years. The media office of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani stated that he "received the head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Masoud Barzani, and his accompanying delegation." In the context of addressing various crises between federal authorities and the Kurdistan Region, Al-Sudani said: "We have made significant progress in building trust between the central and regional governments," according to the Iraqi News Agency.
A statement from Al-Sudani's office indicated that today's meeting discussed ways to "establish more organization in administrative and executive files between the federal government and the Government of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, in various fields and matters." Barzani received a formal welcome led by Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and several other ministers and officials. Barzani is considered one of the most prominent Kurdish leaders and heads the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party. His last visit to Baghdad was in November 2018.
The prominent Kurdish politician was a key figure in the independence referendum held in the Kurdistan Region in 2017, which was conducted without the approval of federal authorities and led to a military operation by the Iraqi army against the region's forces. The Kurdish news network Rudaw reported, citing a source in Barzani's office, that "the visit will include a series of meetings with Iraqi officials and political leaders" in the capital Baghdad.
For decades, tensions have overshadowed relations between the Iraqi government and the authorities of the Kurdistan Region, which has long received support from Washington and other Western countries. Tensions have escalated recently following several judicial decisions issued by Baghdad concerning the region, which were seen as undermining its powers. Among the contentious issues is the oil exports conducted by the region for many years, which have now been halted for over a year.
The Kurdistan Region had independent funding sources from Baghdad for years through its oil exports via Turkey, conducted without the central government's approval. However, since March 2023, those exports ceased following a ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris, which ruled in favor of Iraq in its dispute with Turkey over this matter. Erbil later agreed that the region's oil sales would pass through Baghdad in exchange for a share of the federal budget. However, the agreement has not yet been implemented due to several legal and financial disputes also involving Turkey.
