Barzani: Kurdistan’s Strength Lies in a Strong Federal Iraq

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said on Thursday that the strength of the region is tied to the existence of a strong and federal Iraq, calling for political disputes to be overcome and for dialogue and peaceful coexistence among the country’s communities to be strengthened.

Speaking at the Sulaymaniyah Economic Summit, Barzani said political disagreements should not hinder trade and investment, stressing the need to reach a clear constitutional framework with the federal government on financial, customs and tax-related issues.

He said the Iraq they seek should be a state that protects all its citizens rather than becoming a tool for political power, numerical strength or imposing one side’s will over another.

Barzani also stressed the importance of safeguarding the rights of Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, Christians, Yazidis and all other Iraqi citizens through state institutions and the rule of law.

He said disputes over the budget, salaries, oil and gas, and constitutional powers should be resolved within the framework of the Constitution in a way that protects the rights of both the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, as well as those of all Iraqi citizens.

“The goal is not for Erbil to follow Baghdad, or Baghdad to follow Erbil, but for both to follow a constitutional Iraq,” Barzani said, emphasizing that the region’s strength lies within a strong federal Iraq.

He concluded by stressing that the time had come to resolve outstanding disputes, saying that the clearest path forward was through the Constitution, dialogue and coexistence.