Shafaq News- Baghdad
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met on Tuesday with Christian lawmakers in the Iraqi Parliament, stressing the need to ensure their political representation in the next federal government, according to a statement.
The meeting, held on the second day of Barzani’s visit to Baghdad, focused on the conditions of Iraq’s Christian community and broader minority representation within state institutions.
Barzani described Christians as an “integral component” of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, urging that they be granted a ministerial portfolio in the upcoming cabinet.
Both sides agreed on the need to strengthen partnership and equality among Iraq’s components, in line with constitutional rights, with the president reaffirming the Kurdistan Region’s support for protecting Christian rights and ensuring a dignified life for the community.
Christian lawmakers, in turn, expressed appreciation for Barzani’s consistent positions in defending minority rights and preserving pluralism in both Kurdistan and Iraq. During the 2025 parliamentary elections, Iraqi Christians secured five quota seats, most won by candidates aligned with the Christian Alliance, while one seat went to the Babylon Movement.
Barzani began a two-day visit to Baghdad on Monday to discuss key political files, including government formation and relations between Baghdad and Erbil. He has already met caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi, and other political figures.