ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The aim of Saturday’s meeting between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Kurdish federal representatives was to find a solution for Baghdad’s treatment of the Region, spokesperson to the KRG told The New Region on the sidelines of the meeting that saw all but three Kurdish political parties in attendance.

“We will discuss all the topics, including finances and oil,” KRG Spokesperson Peshawa Hawramani told The New Region, adding that the aim of the meeting is to “rectify the relationship between Erbil and Baghdad.”

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Saturday led an irregular meeting of the Council of Ministers with Kurdish ministers in the federal government and heads of parliamentary blocs in the Iraqi parliament, aimed at discussing the next steps for the Kurdish representation in the political process in Baghdad amid ongoing budget issues.

Representatives of the New Generation Movement (NGM), Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), and Kurdistan Justice Group (Komal) were notably not in attendance for Saturday's meeting. The blocs have a combined 14 seats in the Iraqi parliament, but no ministers in Baghdad.

“This is a meeting for us to find a solution together for what Baghdad is doing to the Kurdistan Region and its people,” Hawramani said, adding that Prime Minister Masrour Barzani had said that “those who have a sense of responsibility are present here.”

“We took every step to find solutions together, but we have not seen the same from them [Baghdad],” Hawramani said, adding that “if the solution to rectifying these relations is a withdrawal, then it will be a subject for discussion.”

Salaries of the Kurdistan Region’s civil servants and the Region’s share of the federal budget have long been a point of contention between the federal and regional governments. As of the time of this writing, the KRG has not been able to pay its civil servants their December 2024 salaries, citing Baghdad’s refusal to send the agreed upon amount for said salaries.

Another topic of discussion during Saturday's meeting is the resumption of the Kurdistan Region's oil exports, which have been halted since March 2023, dealing a major blow to Iraq and the Region's economy, with over $25 billion in lost revenue to date.