Al-Kadhimi wraps up his visit to Kurdistan region with optimism

Shafaq News / The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, left the city of Al-Sulaymaniyah on Friday evening to Baghdad after a two-days visit to Kurdistan Region.

Al-Kadhimi initiated his visit Thursday by meeting the Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani in Erbil, then the regional Prime Minister, Masrour Barzani.

Al-Kadhimi left for Duhok governorate and conducted an inspection tour to Ibrahim Al-Khalil border-crossing with Turkey, as well as a camp for displaced Yazidis fleeing from Sinjar.

The Federal PM also visited a military site for the former Iraqi regime in Duhok Governorate, where some the horrible crimes took place during the notorious Al-Anfal campaigns.

On the second day of his visit, he met with the President of Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani. After the meeting, he headed to Al-Sulaymaniyah and inspected Bashmakh border-crossing before visiting Halabja.

This visit was Al-Kadhimi's first to the Region since he assumed office as prime minister last May.

The visit comes while Baghdad and Erbil have been holding intensive talks for months to resolve the outstanding differences between them for many years.

The President of Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, said that his meeting with Al-Kadhimi in Erbil is a continuation of positive discussions to resolve the outstanding differences.

Al-Kadhimi also indicated in a statement during the visit that he had touched a positive atmosphere in Erbil and showed optimism that the two parties would reach "integration soon" referring to turning the page on differences.

For years, there have been controversial files between the federal government and Kurdistan region, most notably the management of oil wealth and the division of its revenues, and the disputed areas between the two sides.

The Iraqi government decided last month to send 320 billion dinars (about 268 million dollars) per month to Erbil as salaries for employees, until a final agreement is reached.

Last April, the previous government headed by Adel Abdul Mahdi decided to cut the salaries of state employees in Kurdistan, after it accused the region of not adhering to an agreement to deliver 250,000 barrels of oil per day to the Baghdad-owned SOMO, which was denied by Erbil.