Deputy Prime Minister Talabani discusses formation of new Iraqi cabinet with U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Iraq Affairs

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (GOV.KRD) - Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani stressed the importance of forming a new government in Iraq quickly, in a telephone conversation on Friday with David Copley, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Iraq Affairs in the U.S. Department of State.

Deputy Prime Minister Talabani said the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) should step forward to resolve outstanding problems together.

He wished success to Iraq’s Prime Minister-designate Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, and expressed the Kurdistan Region’s readiness to cooperate with the federal government in overcoming Iraq's economic, security and health issues.

The Deputy Prime Minister also said the worldwide coronavirus pandemic has hit the global economy hard, especially those countries that rely heavily on oil. He reiterated that Iraq needs to form its new cabinet quickly, so Erbil and Baghdad can re-establish their relations and confront these economic and health challenges together.

Mr Copley said he hoped to visit Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in the near future.