Twilight News / The US Consulate General in Erbil stressed, on Wednesday, the need for unity between the various political parties in the Kurdistan Region.
A tweet by the consulate on Twitter, seen by Twilight News, said that White House envoy for Middle East and North Africa affairs Brett McGurk stressed Washington’s keenness on the need for unity of the Kurdish ranks in order to promote common reconciliation and prosperity of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq as a whole.
He pointed out that he conveyed this during meetings held with Kurdish leader and Chairman of the Kurdistan Democratic Party Massoud Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Pavel Talabani, and Vice President of the Kurdistan Regional Government Kobad Talabani, stressed Washington’s keenness.
The dispute between the two main parties in the Kurdistan Region intensified due to a series of events, including the assassination of intelligence leader Hawkar Al-Jaf, the tension that accompanied the determination of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan to hold on to its candidate for the post of President of the Republic of Iraq, then ruminations from political leaders in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Planned” on Sulaymaniyah.
Twilight News / The President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Pavel Talabani, announced on Wednesday the expansion of cooperation with the United States of America in the fields of investment, agriculture and others.
The Taliban media office said in a statement received by Shafaq News that the latter received the US Consul General in the Kurdistan Region, Irvine Hicks, and discussed during the meeting ways to develop relations, expand cooperation in the fields of investment and agriculture, revive the economic infrastructure of the region and the role of freedom of expression and independent media in advancing democracy.
The statement pointed out that the meeting dealt with the steps taken to revive the market and business for citizens and convey the demands of businessmen and employers to the US consul and asked them to help and support this process.
With regard to combating terrorism and eliminating remnants of ISIS, Talabani thanked the coalition forces for their continued role and support in operations against terrorists and moving towards stability in the region.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) confirmed on Wednesday that understandings are continuing on the region’s share in the budget, revealing the agreement to grant a fair and equitable share to the region, while expecting the share to be more than 14 percent.
Democratic Party MP Sherif Suleiman told the official news agency that “the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government has developed a clear and comprehensive strategy to solve all outstanding problems between the two parties, especially with regard to the issue of government and imports, as well as unifying the ranks of the Peshmerga.”
He added that “understandings are continuing on the region’s share in the budget,” noting that “since the signing of the state administration agreement, it has been agreed to grant a fair and equitable share to the region during the current year.”
He pointed out that “there are benefits that have not been granted to the region, especially the budget, in addition to the issue of the presence of displaced people in the region for more than 8 years and the disputed areas, in addition to the benefits of the Peshmerga and employees that have not been resolved so far.”
He added, “We look forward to giving the region a fair budget, especially since there is great understanding and positive things in this regard,” expressing that “the region’s share will be more than 14 percent.”
“We are part of and supportive of this government and hope that there will be more serious and effective steps in order to provide services to citizens,” he said. Finished 25n
Twilight News / The Political Bureau of the Kurdistan Democratic Party held, on Wednesday, its regular meeting chaired by its leader Massoud Barzani, to discuss political and government developments and changes in the region.
The party stressed in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency, “the need to resolve problems and differences with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan on the basis of the principles of the political and administrative agreement between the two sides and the curriculum of the ninth government cabin, which was signed for the benefit of both parties.”
A statement said that the Democratic Party, based on the protection of the achievements of our people, which were achieved with blood, struggle and a sense of responsibility, for our rights and goals, as well as in order to protect the Kurdistan Region, announced the opening of a new page of relations by a decision of leader Massoud Barzani and the decision of the 14th Party Conference, so we
He added: We reaffirm that we in the Kurdistan Democratic Party are ready to hold meetings to solve the outstanding problems, and we believe that this is the best way with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the political parties remained.”
He continued: As stated in the fourth point of the agreement between the Democratic Party and the National Union, the two sides must support the Kurdistan Regional Government in all sides, but unfortunately many obstacles have been placed in front of them and the problems are now presented to citizens as a personal problem with the Prime Minister. We declare here that we are against the personalization of problems, and the Prime Minister is working in accordance with the paragraphs of the Political and Administrative Agreement and the Governmental Program of the Ninth Cabinth.
He added that “these attempts come to cover up their shortcomings and put obstacles to reform and transparency if it is declared that these practices are considered an evasion of the political agreement that was concluded and ratified by the two parties.”
On the file of legislative elections in the region, the statement stated: We tried a lot through the meetings held by the President of the region and the meetings attended by the United Nations envoy, but unfortunately and in order to preserve the Kurdistan Region, we chose the decision to extend the life of the parliament. We confirm here that the parliament should not stop holding its sessions and must also hold its regular session
– Prioritize amending the electoral law, stabilizing the four-circuit law and adopting the biometric system
– In conjunction with the amendment of the election law, the Electoral Commission must be activated and the vacancies in it must be bored
– We call on the territorial government to provide the necessary budget and administrative requirements for holding elections this year
– We ask the President of the region to set the date of the elections in accordance with legal procedures
– We call on all political parties in the region to support the holding of parliamentary elections during 2023 by the date to be determined.
On the relationship between the region and Baghdad, the statement mentioned: We in the Kurdistan Democratic Party support the establishment of sound and normal relations between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government in accordance with the articles and provisions of the Constitution, to solve the problems that currently exist and that may face us in the future politically, legality and financial entitlements.
“We believe that strengthening relations and this approach will serve the entire Iraqi people in general and all issues are fixed in the political agreement of state administration and the government curriculum, so we believe it necessary to abide by and implement it,” he added.
The dispute between the two main parties in the Kurdistan Region intensified due to a series of events, including the assassination of intelligence leader Hawkar Al-Jaf, the tension that accompanied the determination of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan to hold on to its candidate for the post of President of the Republic of Iraq, then ruminations from political leaders in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Planned” on Sulaymaniyah.
{Political: Euphrates News} The President of the Republic, Abdullatif Rashid, saw the rise in the dollar exchange rate in the country as “time.”
Rashid said in a press statement on the sidelines of his participation in the Davos Forum in Switzerland: “I think this is temporary, and the government is very interested in this issue, and all countries are witnessing a decline in the exchange rate of their currency. If we take the pound sterling against the dollar, we find that its exchange rate fell significantly within a year, as well
“I see, and I hope that this will be temporary, and the federal government, the prime minister, ministers and the governor of the Central Bank are interested in this and working on it, and they do not want the people of Iraq to be harmed by the decline in the dinar exchange rate.”
Rashid continued: “I have great hope for an urgent solution, there are a set of things being worked on, and all this is related to the extent of control based on the volume of money transfers in Iraq, unfortunately there was sometimes no strong control over money transfers in Iraq, and traders who were transferring money often exaggerated the prices of the goods they imported.”
On the withdrawal of the army from cities and the handover of the security file to the Ministry of Interior, the President of the Republic said: “Recently, on the occasion of the anniversary of the establishment of the Iraqi army and the anniversary of the Ministry of Interior, which includes the police and other forces, I spoke to both sides and also with His Excellency the Prime Minister about the need
“This operation began in Baghdad, which was the largest center where the army was present, they started, and they are working to open most of the streets, and it was decided that it would be handed over to the police within a few months. A decision has been made. As for other cities, their case will be studied one by one and the Iraqi government is very determined to do so.”
Rashid pointed out that “the issue of replacing the army with the police (inside the cities) is not a desire for me or you alone, but also the desire of international companies that do not want to see the army inside the cities, and they describe this as the militarization of the city and the militarization of society, they want this to be done sooner and it had
Baghdad – Mawazine News , President of the Republic Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid affirmed today, Wednesday, that Iraq possesses the capabilities and energies that support comprehensive national development.
And the Presidency of the Republic stated in a statement, a copy of which Mawazine News received, that “the President of the Republic received today, in the World Economic Forum building, the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Odile Reno Basso.”
According to the statement, the president stressed, during the meeting, “the importance of strengthening relations with the European Bank, especially with regard to diversifying the economy and enhancing its stability, as well as creating appropriate conditions for achieving sustainable economic development that focuses on facilitating the implementation of business and providing an attractive environment for effective investment.”
He added, “Iraq possesses the will, and has the capabilities and energies to support comprehensive national development, noting that the Iraqi government affirms that the promotion of sustainable local development takes place through building strategic regional and international partnerships, and encouraging the private sector in Iraq.”
The President of the Republic called for “international cooperation to preserve the movement of global food trade and prevent disruption in its supply chain, in a way that enhances global food security.”
In turn, the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development expressed the bank’s pride in the close relations with Iraq, praising the success of the Iraqi efforts to achieve economic reform.
And she stressed, “The European Bank’s keenness to develop joint cooperation at various levels.” Ended 29/M99
Twilight News / The exchange rates of the dollar rose against the Iraqi dinar, on Wednesday, with the close of the main stock exchange in Baghdad, and Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region.
A correspondent for Shafaq News Agency said that the Central Exchange of Al-Kifah closed in Baghdad at 161,400 Iraqi dinars for 100 dollars.
While the prices this morning were 160,500 Iraqi dinars per 100 dollars. Our correspondent pointed out that the buying and selling prices in the banking shops in the local markets in Baghdad increased, where the selling price reached 162,000 Iraqi dinars, while the purchase prices amounted to 160000 dinars per 100 dollars. In Erbil, the dollar also recorded an increase with the closure of the stock exchange, where the selling price reached 162,000 dinars per 100 dollars, and the purchase price
Fears raised of a return of factional attacks and Iraq may witness the resumption of the dialogue of the ‘nuclear deal’
Baghdad / Tamim Al-Hassan
A simultaneous visit by senior U.S. and Iranian officials to Iraq is likely to help ease the crisis of rising dollar prices and buy gas from Tehran.
This happens in exchange for Baghdad mediator between the two parties, which the capital may witness the resumption of the stalled nuclear deal dialogue between Washington and Tehran following the visit of officials.
He appeared in Baghdad simultaneously, Bert McGurk, in a meeting with Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani and pictures of Ismail Qaani, an Iranian general in the capital, and his meeting with a prominent Shiite leader.
These developments came in conjunction with an expected visit by the Sudanese to Washington, and the recent statements that were considered positive towards America and “rare” for a close prime minister to the factions.
Al-Mada learned that among the issues raised by McGurk during his visit related to the status of factions, while observers confirmed that Qaani’s presence may relate to talking about divisions within the Shiite coalition.
A senior coordination official told Al Mada that McGurk and the Iranian general’s visit to Baghdad simultaneously “is not a coincidence but previously planned.”
“The presence of the two personalities is to open a direct dialogue between the parties but not publicly,” the official, who asked not to be named, added.
The official pointed out that “the meetings in Baghdad will pave the way for setting the outlines between the American and Iranian sides to start new rounds of dialogue on the nuclear file in return for easing pressure on Iraq on the issue of dollar circulation and Iran’s fulfillment of gas revenues exported to Iraq in dollars instead of dinars.”
The Shiite official in the framework confirms that there are other items that are “unauthorized to disclose” behind the visit of McGurk and Ismail Qaani, but said that “Sudani will soon reveal part of the positives of the visit.”
The official added that the visit was planned for some of its papers at the Baghdad II dialogue held last month in Baghdad and was involved and sponsored by France along with Gulf and Arab countries and Iran.
“France wants Iraq to help push Tehran to dialogue on the situation in Syria and the Ukrainian crisis,” the official said, considering that Iran is a strong ally of Russia, which has been leading a war in Eastern Europe for nearly a year.
The Information Office of Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani said last Monday that the latter received the White House Coordinator for Middle East and North Africa Affairs, Brett McGurk, an envoy from US President Joseph Biden, pointing out that “the meeting witnessed a discussion of all relations between Iraq and the United States, and ways to strengthen and develop them at various levels and fields, to
On the most prominent files discussed at the meeting that did not appear publicly, a politician familiar with the matter pointed out in an interview with Al-Mada that the US envoy “talked about fears of renewed factional bombing of the US embassy and other diplomatic missions.”
“McGurk discussed guarantees of non-targeting as relations between Baghdad and Washington now develop and the opposition of some Shiite forces that considered this development against Iran,” the well-informed politician, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
Armed groups under the “resistance” banner carried out 120 attacks with 300 rockets, explosive devices and drones in the past three years before they stopped their activity since Al-Sudani came to power.
The Prime Minister stressed, according to the statement, “the government’s orientation in opening the horizons of cooperation with friendly and brotherly countries, in order to ensure the interests of the Iraqi people,” stressing “the ability of our security forces to confront terrorism and stabilize stability achieved thanks to the great sacrifices made on the land of Iraq.”
For his part, McGurk, quoting the government statement, stressed his country’s support for the success of the current government, and the continued United States to advise Iraqi forces in their fight against ISIS, reiterating “the commitment of the US administration to the Strategic Framework Agreement, and supporting the Iraqi government’s reforms in the field of energy and infrastructure and confronting climate change.”
The statement added that “McGurk conveyed his country’s welcome for the outputs of the Baghdad/2 conference, and the efforts to develop joint infrastructure projects between Iraq and its surroundings, and welcomed the upcoming visit of Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein to Washington to hold meetings of the Supreme Coordinating Committee of the Strategic Framework Agreement between the two countries.”
“The meeting was attended by the Special Presidential Coordinator for Global Infrastructure and Energy Security, Amos Hostein, and the US Ambassador to Baghdad, Alina Romanowski,” he added.
Romansky has met the prime minister for about seven times in the past two months, drawing objections from some Shiite parties affiliated with Tehran.
Munqid Dagher, director of the Middle East and North Africa region at Gallup International, says in an interview with Al-Mada, the visit of the US envoy came “due to the recent statements and positions of the Sudanese, which were considered positive towards Washington.”
Dagher described Al-Sudani’s recent statements about the survival of US forces as “a big leap towards America that was not done by previous prime ministers.”
Prime Minister Mohamed al-Sudani said earlier that his country currently still “needs foreign forces” in it, most of which are American.
“We think we need foreign troops,” Al-Sudani said in press statements carried by AFP, adding: “The elimination of ISIS will take some time.”
The Gallup official considered that the presence of Iranian General Ismail Qaani at the same time in Baghdad “is a message to Washington that Iran is on Iraqi soil and strongly.”
Iranian media published pictures of the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, Ismail Qaani, in front of the erection of the airport incident, which witnessed the assassination of Deputy Prime Minister of the crowd Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and former commander of the Revolutionary Guards Qassem Soleimani in a US raid three years ago in Baghdad.
According to the Iranian news agency, “Brigadier General Ismail Qaani then went to offer condolences on the death of the wife of the martyr of the mihrab, Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Hakim,” and the agency showed pictures of the latter gathering with the leader of the Wisdom Movement Ammar al-Hakim.
In turn, the head of the Center for Political Thinking, Ihsan Al-Shammari, said in an interview with Al-Mada that the Iranian general’s visit is due to “the existence of cracks in the coordination framework and the Iranian-backed state administration coalition.”
“It is not in Iran’s interest now for this alliance to collapse,” Al-Shammari said.
News, which the framework denies and considers it the Sadrist movement, was a broad differences between Nuri al-Maliki (leader of the rule of law) and Qais al-Khazali (leader of Al-Asaib) that amounted to the threat of the resignation of the first ministers from the government.
On the other hand, the Sunni forces are also in crisis because of the dismissal of Mohammed Halbousi, Speaker of Parliament, as a deputy from the Azm Alliance, the first rival.
Al-Shammari stressed that the meeting of Al-Sudani-MakGurk “was presented the files that will be discussed in an expected visit of the Sudanese to Washington and the Iraqi answers to them, which will be transferred to Joe Biden, the US president.”
The researcher in political affairs considered that Iraq, with the presence of Iranian and American envoys, can “play the role of conveying messages between the two parties on the outstanding files between the two countries.”
Kurdistan Region recently exported pomegranates to a number of Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, as a pilot project.
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region is set to diversify its investments in other sectors, including expanding its export of local produce abroad, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani announced on Tuesday in Switzerland.
“I’m determined to consolidate our new trade routes, export more and invest in other areas–such as banking, energy and fintech [Financial technology],” Barzani tweeted at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Kurdistan Region recently exported pomegranates to a number of Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, as a pilot project.
On the sidelines of the five-day-long conference, Barzani met on Tuesday with a number of top business executives, including Yusuf Ali, the chairman and the managing director of the Indian United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based LuLu Group International, operating a chain of hypermarkets and retail companies, as well as the CEO of Majid Al Futtaim, an Emarati retail conglomerate.
The export project is part of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KGR) plan to diversify the Region’s oil-dependent economy as well as expand its trade relations, according to government officials.
Barzani previously stated that the Region has the potential to serve as Iraq’s and the region’s “food basket”.
An analytical article by Raed Al-Hamid follows a competition between the United States and Iran to rearrange the situation in Iraq to serve the interests of each other.
18.01.2023
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa Al-Sudani
Istanbul
Raed Al-Hamid / Anatolia
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa Al-Sudani is moving to build balanced Iraqi relations between the United States of America and Iran, the two most influential countries in the paths of Iraqi politics.
But Al-Sudani seeks to build alliance relations with the United States, such as those between the latter and other countries such as Saudi Arabia, and talked about them in an interview with the American Wall Street Journal, published on Sunday, January 15.
In this interview, Al-Sudani said he plans to send a high-level delegation to Washington next February for talks with US officials.
He stressed that Iraq would like its relations with the United States to be similar to those enjoyed by Saudi Arabia and other oil and gas producing countries in the Gulf, adding that he does not see that it is impossible for Iraq to have good relations with Iran and the United States.
It is important for the Sudanese government to avoid any tension in relations with Washington so that the US Federal Bank, which imposes guardianship on Iraqi funds, does not take sanctions that exacerbate the economic crisis currently in Iraq, especially with the decline in the exchange rates of the Iraqi dinar against the US dollar.
Iraq also still needs to rehabilitate and train its security forces by U.S. advisers and supply more U.S. weapons, ammunition and combat equipment.
In Baghdad, a US delegation headed by US Deputy Assistant President and Coordinator of the White House for Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk discussed on Monday, January 16, with Al-Sudani a number of files during the first meeting of its kind between a senior US official and the head of the new Iraqi government formed by Iran’s allies in the “coordinated framework” at the end of last October.
According to a statement by the US Embassy in Baghdad, the US delegation confirmed US President Joe Biden’s commitment to the “strategic framework” agreement with Iraq and strengthening coordination between the two countries to support the Iraqi government’s “reforms” in the fields of energy, infrastructure and climate.
Washington also affirmed its commitment to providing advice, empowerment and assistance to the Iraqi security forces in their fight against the terrorist organization ISIS, and to ensure that the organization does not return in neighboring Iraq and Syria, according to the statement.
Since taking office, Al-Sudani has adopted a new policy as part of efforts to build the Iraqi state and combat corruption as part of a campaign against dozens of former senior officials, businessmen and investors in an attempt to root out corruption and restore state funds.
The United States is working to enhance opportunities for Iraq’s integration into its Arab environment through joint infrastructure projects and investments.
In early February, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein will arrive in Washington to co-chair the Supreme Coordinating Committee of the “Strategic Framework” Agreement with US Secretary of State Blinken, according to the embassy statement.
Through video communication technology, the first round of discussions within the framework of the strategic dialogue between the two countries was held on June 11, 2020, in an atmosphere of US-Iranian tensions, after the assassination of the commander of the Iranian Quds Force Qassem Soleimani in a US raid near Baghdad airport and the increase in attacks by Iranian-allied Shiite armed groups on US facilities and forces in Iraq.
Regional and Western capitals, led by Washington, accuse Iran of having an expansionist agenda in the region and interfering in the internal affairs of Arab countries, including Iraq, while Tehran says it adheres to the principles of good neighborliness.
Iraq and the United States have friendly and cooperative relations based on the principles of the 2008 “strategic framework” agreement between the governments of then-Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the most prominent leader in the “coordinating framework”, and then-US President George W. Bush.
The United States is particularly interested in Baghdad’s relations with the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, and sees progress in resolving differences between the two sides over energy revenues and exports.
To Erbil, the US delegation went to meet with the President of the Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq, Nechirvan Barzani, and other officials, most notably the head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Massoud Barzani, and the head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Party of Kurdistan Pavel Talabani.
The talks are expected to address the differences between the two Kurdish parties and ways to ease tensions between them, in addition to the American forces in Iraq and the region, which witnessed a meeting a day ago between the head of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani and the Commander-in-Chief of the International Coalition Forces in Iraq and Syria, Matthew McFarlane, to discuss the continuation of the coalition in confronting ISIS threats and enhancing the capabilities of the security forces of the region.
Contrary to the orientations of the forces of the “coordination framework” allied to Iran, Al-Sudani stated in the interview with the American newspaper his country’s need for US forces in the war on terrorism.
Neither the US embassy statement nor a statement by the Sudanese media office touched on the scheduling of the US withdrawal from Iraq or the expulsion of US forces from Iraq, which is pushed by political forces and armed factions allied to Tehran that succeeded in passing a parliamentary resolution obliging the government to remove all foreign forces from the country.
Two days after the killing of Soleimani and deputy head of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Authority Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, on January 5, 2020, the Iraqi Council of Representatives adopted a resolution obliging the government of then-Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kazemi to remove all foreign forces from Iraq.
But Kazemi’s government did not abide by the decision and announced the redeployment of US forces and the transformation of its tasks into “non-combat” related to advising and training security forces to continue confronting ISIS.
The Sudanese government and Iraqi military commanders recognize the country’s need for the country to keep enough U.S. troops for a specified period of time at the bases of Erbil and Ain al-Assad, to ensure that potential threats from ISIS are prevented or allowed to rebuild its combat capabilities.
As well as to prevent Tehran-allied forces from increasing Iranian influence in the region from Iraq, and the need for Baghdad to remain neutral in tensions between Washington and Tehran, and not to allow the transformation of Iraqi territory into an arena of conflict between them in which Iraq is the loser.
The Coordination Framework, which leads the Sudanese government, adopts the removal of US forces through diplomatic channels or military force.
Rights Movement, one of the forces of the “coordination framework” believed to represent the political wing of the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades, criticized Al-Sudani’s statements in which he announced Iraq’s continued need for US forces, despite the parliament’s decision to remove all foreign forces from the country.
With explosive devices, missiles and drones, gunmen launched hundreds of attacks on U.S. logistical support columns and diplomatic facilities in Baghdad, Erbil, Basra and Iraqi bases where U.S. troops are present.
But all these operations have stopped since the head of the Iraqi Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, announced, in June 2022, the withdrawal of his 73 deputies from parliament, which opened the door wide to the “coordinating framework” for forming a government despite losing the early parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021.
The visit of the US delegation coincided with a visit reported by local media conducted by the commander of the Iranian “Quds Force” Ismail Qaani to Iraq, in a sign that Washington and Tehran are trying to rearrange the situation in Iraq to serve their respective interests.
This competition comes in light of media reports of differences in Al-Sudani’s relations with the leaders of the “coordinational framework”, after Al-Sudani is getting closer to Washington and Arab capitals, which these leaders see as a threat to Iran’s interests and influence in Iraq.
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