Shafaq News - Erbil

Baghdad should be recognized as the strategic depth of Kurdistan, Qubad Talabani, deputy prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), emphasized on Wednesday.

Addressing the MERI Forum in Erbil, titled "Shaping the Future: Visions for Peace and Prosperity," he described relations between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad as “fluctuating,” noting that while coordination and agreements currently exist, the situation could shift.

He stressed the importance of mutual representation, noting that just as Erbil should speak for the entire Region, Baghdad must represent all of Iraq. "Iraqi institutions must respect the Kurdistan Region as a constitutional entity within the federal state."

On the unresolved Oil and Gas Law, Talabani pointed out that Iraq depends heavily on oil as its primary source of revenue but has yet to pass legislation regulating its natural resources. He further called this absence “a disaster,” adding that once approved, the Law could serve as the economic constitution of Iraq.

Read more: Iraq’s Oil and Gas Law: A step toward resolving Baghdad-Erbil disputes