Qubad Talabani Urges Kurdish Unity In Baghdad Over Budget Rights
At a Glance
Caretaker KRG Deputy PM Qubad Talabani met with top U.S. diplomats on Wednesday.
U.S. Chargé d'Affaires Steven H. Fagin and Consul General Wendy Green attended the meeting.
Both sides urged officials to expedite forming the new Kurdistan Regional Government cabinet.
Talabani called on Kurdish blocks to present a united front during budget talks.
In a meeting with U.S. Chargé d'Affaires Ambassador Steven H. Fagin, Caretaker KRG Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani urged unified Kurdish action in Baghdad to secure the Kurdistan Region's financial entitlements.
Key Statements and Focus Area
The Qubad Talabani Media Office stated that “the Deputy Prime Minister of the Council of Ministers met with Ambassador Steven H. Fagin, Chargé d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, to discuss the political situation in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, alongside several other issues.”
On the budget share of the Kurdistan Region, Talabani “stressed that Kurdish factions must work with unity and a single voice in Baghdad to secure the financial rights and entitlements of the Kurdistan Region.”
During a meeting on Wednesday, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires and Consul General Wendy Green met with KRG Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani to review the regional political landscape.
Both sides strongly emphasized the critical need to expedite the formation of the new Kurdistan Regional Government cabinet.
Regarding the federal government, both sides "expressed satisfaction" with the completion of the cabinet formation process while emphasizing the need to resolve ongoing disputes between Erbil and Baghdad constitutionally.
Highlighting ongoing budget negotiations, the Deputy Prime Minister urged Kurdish blocks to present a united front in Baghdad to protect the region's financial rights.
FYI
Disputes remain between the two governments over Erbil's portion of the 2027 federal budget.
Citing the preliminary results of the 2024 national census, the Kurdistan Regional Government formally demands a 14.14% baseline share.
However, federal drafting teams in Baghdad have tentatively applied restrictive calculations that cap the Region’s actual allocation at roughly 12.7%, which translates to 13 trillion dinars out of a total 217 trillion dinar budget pool.
Kurdish leaders argue that their real share is being unfairly diminished because Baghdad subtracts 113 trillion dinars for "sovereign expenditures" (such as defense, infrastructure, and international debt repayments) before calculating regional percentages.
This funding structure leaves a smaller residual pool, pushing Erbil to demand that public sector salaries be fully exempt from political disputes and distributed equitably with the rest of Iraq.
On the other hand, having passed nearly two years without a finalized executive branch, the Kurdistan Region continues to face a historic deadlock in government formation.
Since the regional parliamentary elections held on October 20, 2024, negotiations to form the KRG tenth cabinet have faced significant extensions.
Because neither the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)—which secured 39 seats—nor the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)—which won 23 seats—attained a clear parliamentary majority, Kurdistan has been operating under a prolonged caretaker administration.
Disagreements over the distribution of senior government positions, key institutional portfolios have repeatedly stalled a final power-sharing agreement.
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