ERBIL — Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani travelled to Baghdad on Sunday to attend a meeting of Iraq’s State Administration Coalition, the country’s principal political alliance, according to the Kurdistan Region Presidency spokesman.
Presidency spokesperson Dilshad Shahab said Barzani was formally invited by the coalition’s secretary general and took part alongside Iraq’s four presidencies — the President of the Republic, the Speaker of Parliament, the head of the Supreme Judicial Council, and the Prime Minister — as well as major Kurdish, Shiite, and Sunni parties.
Discussions centered on a planned Washington visit by an Iraqi delegation led by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, ahead of talks with US President Donald Trump, together with regional security, political, and economic matters.
Shahab framed Barzani’s attendance as an exercise of his constitutional role coordinating between the federal government and the Kurdistan Region, calling it “a correct step toward balanced engagement.” He said the president would press the issue of delayed salaries for the Region’s civil servants, a recurring point on his agenda.
The salary dispute persists amid unresolved tensions between Erbil and Baghdad over non-oil revenue transfers, with June payments still outstanding.
By Jawad Qadir