Erbil ready for direct dialogue with Baghdad

BAGHDAD - 2 October 2017: The Political Leadership of Kurdistan expressed on Monday readiness to hold a direct dialogue with the Iraqi government in Baghdad in response to an initiative by Iraq’s Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani.

Representatives of Kurdish parties said, in a statement, that Sistani’s call is an important step to protect peace, social security and uproot violence and threats.

Sisitani is the highest religious Shiite figure Iraq.

The Kurdish parties said the initiative runs in line with their call for dialogue as the only way to resolve the current problems between Erbil and Baghdad.

Since the announcement of the results of Kurdistan Region’s referendum on Wednesday in which a resounding 92 percent of the votes opted for independence, the Iraqi government has been taking several punitive measures, including a flight ban. It also threatened to close all land borders in coordination with neighboring countries such as Iran and Turkey.