President Barzani: War and peace decisions belong to Iraqi state
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said on Thursday that decisions on war and peace must remain solely with Iraq’s legitimate state authorities, calling for weapons to come under state control and unresolved disputes to be settled through the constitution.
Speaking in Baghdad at a ceremony marking the end of the US-led Coalition’s military mission in Iraq, Barzani said sovereignty meant the state having the final say, enforcing the constitution and federal system, and making constitutional institutions the final authority.
Read more: Iraq's Sovereignty Days: Coalition mission ends, factions keep their weapons
He said Iraq was entering a new phase after the Coalition’s departure and must now take full responsibility for its own security and stability.
Barzani thanked the United States and Coalition countries for supporting Iraqi forces during the war against ISIS, saying the measure of that support’s success was not a permanent foreign military presence but Iraq’s ability to protect itself.
He called for Iraq’s relations with the United States and Coalition members to shift from wartime cooperation to long-term partnerships in security, the economy, investment, energy, education, technology and diplomacy.
Read more: Iraqi leaders mark ‘Sovereignty Days’ as Coalition mission ends
“Iraq’s strength does not lie in weapons outside state authority or in tension and instability,” Barzani said, adding that disputes should be resolved through dialogue, the constitution and respect for the rights of all communities.
He said Iraq should now resolve outstanding domestic issues, including Erbil-Baghdad disputes, weapons control and the rights of the country’s communities, rather than leave them to become future crises.
Barzani also called for stronger coordination among the Peshmerga, the Iraqi army and other security forces.
He said the Kurdistan Region would support efforts to strengthen Iraq’s sovereignty, security and stability and would continue working with the federal government and other Iraqi parties to settle disputes through dialogue and constitutional mechanisms.
