Peregraf- The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) announced that its president, Bafel Jalal Talabani, met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Baghdad, where the two leaders held detailed talks on political, economic, and social issues in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. The PUK president’s press office issued a statement outlining the discussions.
According to the statement, Talabani placed strong emphasis on the urgent need to implement the oil agreement between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region. He urged Prime Minister Sudani to remove all remaining obstacles blocking the deal’s execution, noting that its success is vital for economic stability and improved relations between Erbil and Baghdad.
On the issue of public sector salaries, Talabani called on the Iraqi government to accelerate the procedures for transferring funds to the Kurdistan Region. He stressed that salaries in Kurdistan should be paid on the same timetable as the rest of Iraq, to ensure fairness and end the long-standing delays faced by civil servants in the region.
The statement added that the two sides also discussed the upcoming elections to Iraq’s parliament, underscoring the importance of holding clean and transparent polls.
In another part of the meeting, Talabani thanked Sudani for his recent decision to rename Sulaimani International Airport after the late Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, describing the move as a gesture of respect for his father’s legacy.
The PUK president also highlighted the need to provide more services to the families of martyrs across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, pointing out that Prime Minister Sudani himself is the son of martyrs and therefore pays special attention to their sacrifices.
The press office concluded by affirming that the PUK leadership will continue its dialogue with Baghdad to secure the constitutional rights of the Kurdistan Region while strengthening cooperation for Iraq’s overall stability.