On November 27, a Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) delegation traveled to Baghdad with an agenda headed by the Kurdistan Region’s budget bill. The delegation will discuss issues ranging from the Kurdistan Region’s participation in federal institutions, the constitutional rights of the Peshmerga, Article 140 of the disputed territories, the oil and gas law, while it also seeks resolve the outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad.
“It is in our agenda to meet with the Iraqi government Ministry of Finance to prepare the draft of the 2023 budget bill and to meet with other Iraqi government officials on several issues,” KRG Spokesperson, Jotiar Adil – who is among the delegates traveling to Baghdad – said. The Kurdistan Region’s share of the federal budget is 17 percent, but the Iraqi Ministry of Planning has placed it at 14 percent.
This is the first KRG delegation to visit Iraq since the new Iraqi government assumed office. The trip comes after the Council of Ministers earlier this month discussed KRG’s strategy to resolve remaining issues with Baghdad.