Al-Mandlawi, President Barzani discuss Baghdad–Erbil coordination

ERBIL — First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Mohsen Al-Mandlawi met Monday with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani to discuss federal–regional relations and efforts to strengthen national stability, according to a statement from Al-Mandlawi’s office.

Al-Mandlawi said the current phase “requires high-level coordination between Baghdad and Erbil to address economic and security challenges, especially with regard to the budget file and the management of natural resources according to the constitution.”

Statement from Al-Mandlawi’s office:

The First Deputy Speaker of the Council of Representatives and head of the Iraqi Al-Asas Alliance, Mr. Mohsen Al-Mandlawi, met today, Monday, with the President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Mr. Nechirvan Barzani, in the presence of a number of MPs, to discuss a set of important national files, foremost among them the relationship between the federal government and the region, and mechanisms for establishing political and economic stability in the country.

Al-Mandlawi affirmed that the current stage requires high-level coordination between Baghdad and Erbil to address economic and security challenges, especially with regard to the budget file and the management of natural resources according to the constitution, and the importance of unifying efforts to support the course of administrative and financial reform.

He stated that addressing these files will be a main entry point for strengthening citizens’ confidence in government institutions in both the center and the region alike.