PM Al-Sudani, President Rashid discuss Kurdistan salaries amid ongoing disputes

BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani met Monday with President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid to discuss domestic challenges and regional developments, with a particular focus on tensions between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government.

According to a statement from Al-Sudani’s media office, the two leaders stressed the need to “unify rhetoric and positions and prioritize the national interest in order to confront all forms of challenges while protecting the interests of all Iraqis.”

They also addressed the salary crisis affecting public employees in the Kurdistan Region, emphasizing the importance of resolving the matter “in accordance with constitutional and legal frameworks.”

As of July 7, KRG employees had not received their May salaries, as a months-long dispute between Erbil and Baghdad drags on. The conflict escalated in May when the federal Finance Ministry halted salary transfers, accusing the KRG of overspending its 2025 budget share by more than 19 trillion dinars and failing to provide verifiable oil and non-oil revenue data.

The KRG has rejected the accusations and maintains that it has met all its obligations under the Constitution.

Statement from Al-Sudani’s media office:

Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani received today, Monday, the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid.

The meeting included discussions on the overall situation in the country, developments at the regional level, and the challenges facing the region in general. Both sides emphasized the importance of unifying rhetoric and positions and prioritizing the national interest in order to confront all forms of challenges while protecting the interests of all Iraqis.

The meeting also addressed the issue of financing salaries for employees of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the importance of resolving outstanding matters in accordance with constitutional and legal frameworks. Preparations for holding the elections on schedule were also discussed, underscoring the need for results that genuinely reflect the aspirations of the Iraqi people.