Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) - A top Kurdistan Regional Government delegation, headed by Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani held an extensive meeting with the Kurdistan Parliament Deputy Speaker Jaafar Ebrahim Eminky and heads of Parliamentary Committees of Natural Resources, Industry, Energy, Financial and Legal Affairs.

The KRG delegation included Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani and a number of senior officials.

In the meeting both sides discussed a number of pressing issues related to the current situation in the Kurdistan Region. They shed light on budget options for the 2018 fiscal year, relations with Baghdad, Kurdistan oil production, mechanisms to pay back debts, fighting corruption, transparency, reforms and efforts to protect the constitutional rights of the Kurdistan Region.

The KRG and Parliament officials stressed on the importance of continued cooperation and coordination between the Kurdistan Government and Parliament and agreed that priority should be given to securing the salaries of the public sector employees, conducting reforms and auditing in the payroll systems of the Region.

Both sides also agreed that relevant Kurdistan Parliament committees visit their federal counterparts in Baghdad to lobby against passing the draft 2018 federal budget bill that significantly reduced Kurdistan Region’s share of the federal budget.