Masrour Barzani, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), stated that "positive" discussions in Baghdad were held regarding the appointment of the remaining Kurdish ministers and outstanding issues between both governments.

Barzani arrived in Baghdad on Saturday, leading a high-level government delegation to engage with federal Iraqi officials and political party leaders.

The KRG stated that the high-level talks aim to address the country's current political landscape and focus on 'efforts to resolve the outstanding issues' between Erbil and Baghdad.

Barzani Expects 'Suitable Solution' for Remaining Kurdish Ministerial Seats

Responding to Channel8 questions regarding the remaining Kurdish ministerial posts in the Iraqi cabinet, which are expected to be finalized once parliament reconvenes for its next session, Barzani said that “necessary discussion about that matter has been held.”

“No one's rights should be lost, and God willing, we will find a suitable solution for it,” he added.

'Positive Responses' from Baghdad on Outstanding Erbil Disputes

On the outstanding issues, including Article 140, salaries, the budget, customs, and farmers' demands, the prime minister noted that the delegation discussed all of these, adding, “We have received positive responses from the officials regarding the farmers' issue, the salary issue, and all the problems that exist."

He affirmed that the Iraqi parties “all agreed that these issues must be resolved.”

Erbil-Baghdad Disputes: Some Issues See Progress, Others Remain Stalled

Under the landmark oil agreement last year, Baghdad guaranteed the regular payment of Kurdish public sector employees in exchange for the KRG transferring thousands of barrels of oil per day and 120 billion IQD in monthly non-oil revenues to the federal treasury.

The newly formed federal cabinet under Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi today highlighted that employee salaries must be disbursed punctually to prevent unnecessary public concern.

However, Article 140, customs disputes, and farmers' demands remain unresolved, and no permanent legislative solutions have been passed to settle these long-standing issues.

The Federal Oil and Gas Law is also one of the biggest outstanding legal issues between Erbil and Baghdad and has remained completely stalled for 19 years since it was first drafted in 2007.

KRG PM Meets Top Baghdad Leaders and Discuss Constitutional Mandate

During his visit today, Barzani met with al-Zaidi and "stressed the importance of fundamentally resolving the issues” between both sides.

During his meetings with Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi and Supreme Judicial Council President Faiq Zaidan, the KRG stated that the parties agreed on the importance of respecting the constitution and the federal system.

They further emphasized safeguarding the constitutional rights of the people of the Kurdistan Region and resolving all outstanding issues in accordance with constitutional principles.