Speaker Dr. Rewas Faiq and US Consul General Steven Fagin discuss Erbil-Baghdad relations

Parliament Speaker Dr. Rewas Faiq on 16 September met with the US Consul General in Kurdistan Region, Mr. Steven Fagin. They discussed Parliament’s priorities, including achieving national consensus on drafting a Kurdistan Constitution, carrying out reforms and unifying the Peshmerga forces.

She pointed to the constitutional violations by the Iraqi Council of Representatives and the Iraqi Government against the rights of the people of Kurdistan, especially the violations in the Iraq Provincial Council Elections law.

The Speaker briefed Mr. Fagin on current relations between Erbil and Baghdad and explained that Iraq should not use the 2020 budget as an instrument of pressure on the Kurdistani people. The US Government can play an important role in conveying Kurdistan Region’s message to the Iraqi Government, she said. The Kurdistan Parliament insists on negotiations with the Iraqi government to reach an agreement that secures Kurdistan’s rights within the framework of the Constitution.

Consul General Fagin thanked Dr. Faiq for their detailed discussion and promised to play a positive role between the Kurdistan Parliament and Iraqi Council of Representatives to resolve outstanding problems.