Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Wednesday announced in a press conference that an Iraqi delegation will visit the Kurdistan Region to discuss the issue of public sector salaries in the Kurdistan Region.

In May, Iraq’s federal Ministry of Finance decided to suspend the salaries of public employees in the Kurdistan Region for this year.

Read More: Iraqi Kurdish Parliamentary Blocs Condemn Halt in Salaries

“Just last night, I personally spoke with the esteemed President of the Supreme Judicial Council and also with the Prime Minister of Iraq, and we agreed to move forward toward resolving this crisis,” Prime Minister Barzani said.

“They were pleased to inform us that they are ready, within the coming one or two days, to send a delegation to engage in serious discussions on this issue and find a solution to the salary crisis of Kurdistan’s employees.”

During the KRG’s Council of Ministers meeting, Prime Minister Barzani also underlined that the federal Ministry of Finance’s decision to withhold the region’s salaries is in contradiction with the ruling of the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq. 

Furthermore, during the press conference, Prime Minister Barzani said that over the past two months, the KRG salaries have not been paid. “This is a violation of constitutional rights. We believe that public employees should never be dragged into disputes between the federal and regional governments,” he stated.

“With God’s support and the backing of the people of Kurdistan, I am confident that this crisis will eventually be resolved. Our strength lies in the support of our people, and this trust has allowed us to continue to work towards securing all the rights of the people of Kurdistan.

“We will never give up any constitutional rights of our people and will continue our efforts. Not a day has passed without us working to resolve these crises. We have remained in contact with Baghdad. 

“I want to reassure the people of Kurdistan that we are in this together. We will do everything possible to secure all of the rights of our people. I hope in the coming days we will reach a very positive outcome and resolve this issue so that salaries can be paid. Regardless of the situation, the KRG is committed to doing everything in its power to serve the people of Kurdistan,” he concluded.