Erbil needs to broaden talks with Baghdad over independence, former Kurdish MP says

ERBIL — Mahmoud Othman, a Kurdish prominent politician and former member of the Iraqi parliament, says it is vital for Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to settle its issues with Baghdad, including independence, through dialogue.

Othman told BasNews on Wednesday that the US has welcomed KRG PM Nechirvani Barzani's recent visit to Baghdad to discuss some issues with the Iraqi PM Haidar al-Abadi and other Iraqi senior officials.

The Kurdish figure noted that holding talks with Baghdad does not signify the abandonment of independence, asserting that even Kurdish independence from Iraq needs to be achieved through dialogue with Baghdad.

He suggested that KRG needs to broaden the talks with the central government by engaging all the Kurdish political factions in the discussions.

KRG PM Nechirvan Barzani and his accompanying delegation visited Baghdad on Monday and met with senior officials in Baghdad including Iraqi PM Haidar al-Abadi, to discuss some issues pertaining to the war against IS, particularly the anticipated Mosul offensive, oil exports, and their bilateral ties.