On Tuesday, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani finished his two-day trip to Baghdad, during which he met with leaders from all Iraqi political blocs to discuss the formation of the upcoming Iraqi federal government. 

Read More: Kurdistan Region President Visits Iraqi Leaders In Baghdad

On April 27, the Shi’a Coordination Framework nominated the relatively unknown Iraqi businessman Ali al-Zaidi to be Iraq’s next prime minister. Al-Zaidi has 30 days to form the government and he has to secure a vote of confidence from the majority of the Iraqi parliament. Currently, talks are being held between Iraqi political parties to allocate the ministry posts. 

“We emphasized joint work and cooperation to address national political, security, and economic challenges, including reaffirming that arms must be exclusively in the hands of the state, and the need for a swift response to the economic situation due to the repercussions of the regional context. We also stressed ensuring the security of countries in the region and maintaining neutrality from regional conflicts,” President Nechirvan Barzani posted on X.

“We discussed with our partners the formation of the new Iraqi government and confirmed to the Prime Minister-designate our full support for joint efforts to move Iraq and its people into a new phase of stability, development, and progress.”

During his visit he met with the leaders of the Shi’a Coordination Framework – including Nouri al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, Qais al-Khazali, Secretary General of the Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq Movement, Sayyed Ammar al-Hakim, head of the National Wisdom Movement, Abdul Hussein al-Mousawi, leader of the National Alnahj Alliance, and others. He also met with Iraqi Prime Minister-Designate al-Zaidi.

As part of his engagements in Baghdad, President Nechirvan Barzani, along with his delegation, met with Judge Faiq Zidan, President of the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council, and commended the judge for his contributions to upholding political stability.

President Nechirvan Barzani also met with Asaad al-Eidani, Governor of Basra, to discuss developments in the governorate and its relationship with the governorates of the Kurdistan Region.

Furthermore, he met with minority leaders from the Yazidi, Fayli, and Sabean-Mandaean representatives in the Iraqi Parliament on Tuesday, emphasizing the necessity of their active involvement in the political landscape and the realization of their constitutional rights.

On Tuesday, President Nechirvan Barzani also met with Irfan Siddiq, the UK Ambassador to Iraq, where they discussed the necessary steps to form the new federal government.

Additionally, President Nechirvan Barzani held meetings with the main Sunni political parties in Baghdad, including with Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibet al-Halbousi, and leaders of the Sunni National Political Council, which included former Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi and Khamis al-Khanjar, leader of the Sovereignty Alliance.

During the meeting with the Sunni National Political Council, both sides agreed that the next government should be based on genuine partnership and balance among the country’s components, with service delivery and reconstruction as top priorities. Furthermore, he met with Muthana al-Samarayi, head of Iraq's Sunni al-Azem Alliance.