Barzani meets Iraqi speaker of parliament to discuss ongoing KRG salary delays

ERBIL — Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met with Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani on Sunday to discuss ongoing disputes with the federal government, with both sides emphasizing the need to resolve the salary issue affecting public employees in the Kurdistan Region.

The meeting, held in Erbil, focused on recent tensions surrounding delayed salary transfers from Baghdad. Barzani’s media office said both parties agreed that public sector wages should not be politicized. “Citizens of the region have been treated unfairly in this context,” the statement said, urging the prompt disbursement of financial entitlements to the region.

The talks also reaffirmed support for Iraq’s federal structure and stressed the importance of protecting the constitutional rights of the Kurdistan Region.

The dispute escalated in May after Iraq’s federal Finance Ministry halted salary payments, accusing the KRG of exceeding its allocated budget and failing to provide verifiable data on oil and non-oil revenue. The ministry claimed the KRG had surpassed its 2025 allocation by more than 19 trillion dinars. Kurdish officials rejected the accusations, saying they had fulfilled all obligations under the constitution and existing agreements.

The KRG reiterated its position in a statement Wednesday, calling on the federal government to resume payments and citing progress in recent negotiations.

Despite entering July, KRG public sector employees have yet to receive their May salaries.

Statement from Barzani’s media office:

Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met with Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani on Sunday, July 6, 2025.

The meeting, also attended by Deputy Parliament Speaker Shakhawan Abdullah and Integrity Committee Chairman MP Ziyad Al-Janabi, focused on disputes between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government, particularly concerning salaries and financial entitlements for public sector employees in the region.

Both sides agreed that the salary issue should be separated from political disputes and problems to prevent Kurdistan Region employees from becoming victims of these issues, as the citizens of the region have been treated unfairly in this context.

The two parties also emphasized the need for an urgent resolution to the salary issue and ensuring the transfer of financial entitlements to the region. Further talks between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government are expected in the coming days to address the matter.

The meeting also reaffirmed the need of respecting Iraq’s federal system and upholding the constitutional rights of the Kurdistan Region.