Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Monday met with Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani at the Dukan resort to form the new KRG cabinet.
Prime Minister @masrourbarzani will meet PUK leader @Bafeltalabani at the Dukan resort later today.
— Aziz Ahmad (@azizkahmad) April 28, 2025
This will be their third meeting. These bilateral meetings have helped build trust and break negotiation deadlocks.
We want to see a new KRG cabinet formed as quickly as…
“This will be their third meeting. These bilateral meetings have helped build trust and break negotiation deadlocks,” Aziz Ahmed, Deputy Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Barzani, posted on X.
“We want to see a new KRG cabinet formed as quickly as possible.”
During last year’s October 2024 parliamentary elections, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) secured 39 seats, while the PUK obtained 23 seats. Despite these results, the two parties have yet to form a new government.
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On April 15, KRG Prime Minister Barzani met with a U.S. delegation led by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Iraq and Iran in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Victoria Taylor, in which both officials stressed the importance of forming the new cabinet as soon as possible, ideally before this year’s Iraqi parliamentary elections.
Photo from my personal collection in Dukan earlier today.
— Aziz Ahmad (@azizkahmad) April 28, 2025
Prime Minister @masrourbarzani is in Suli for talks with PUK leader @Bafeltalabani on ways to accelerate government formation. pic.twitter.com/aBBZsQY6KA
On April 16, during the Sulaimani Forum, Prime Minister Barzani also expressed hope that the new KRG cabinet will be formed by the end of the month. “The talks between the two parties are moving forward,” he stated. “We are hopeful that we can form the new government as soon as possible.”
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President Masoud Barzani, at the opening of the 10-day 17th International Erbil Book Fair on April 10, also urged for a quick government formation, and called on the Kurdish opposition parties to act.
“We are happy with those who gained seats, and we will create a government, a cabinet, based on the collective will of everyone. Kurdistan belongs to all of us, and we are all brothers; no one should be treated differently,” President Barzani said.
“There should be an opposition, but the opposition should help in advancing the cabinet, the government, and the parliament. A new page should be opened; once again, I urge all parties to participate.”
