ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Saturday held a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi in Erbil, with the pair emphasizing "the importance of unifying efforts and visions" between Erbil and Baghdad in order to enhance stability in the country.

The meeting comes after the businessman-turned-politician travelled to Erbil on Saturday to meet top Kurdish officials, marking his first visit to the Kurdistan Region since being nominated as the Shiite Coordination Framework's candidate for the premiership on Monday.

"During the meeting, the formation of the new government was discussed, and the progress of the ongoing dialogues between the various political forces was reviewed, with the aim of forming a national government that fulfills the aspirations of all the Iraqi people," read a statement from the Iraqi Prime Minister's Office.

"The meeting also addressed relations between Baghdad and Erbil, and emphasized the importance of unifying efforts and visions to move forward in strengthening stability throughout Iraq."

Earlier in the day, Zaidi met with President Masoud Barzani to discuss government formation efforts, with the two emphasizing "the importance of unifying views and positions and working to form a strong government that has the ability to confront obstacles and overcome crises."

Tensions between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Baghdad have simmered over the past year, with federal budgetary allocations, Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution, and oil revenues having frequently been points of contention.

The Kurdistan Region's largest party, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), announced in April that it would indefinitely boycott the Iraqi parliament over what it termed "constitutional violations" by Baghdad.

"We reaffirm that safeguarding the constitutional rights of the people of Kurdistan and preserving the legitimacy of the political process take precedence over all considerations and interests," the KDP said at the time.

According to a Barzani Headquarters statement on the Masoud Barzani-Ali al-Zaidi meeting, the latter requested that the KDP "return to Baghdad for active participation in the political process and the formation of the federal government."

Ashwaq Jaf, a member of the KDP Central Committee, said Saturday that Zaidi has received a "strong welcome" by all political forces in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, expressing hopes that progress can be made in tackling the aforementioned issues during his tenure.

"The political interpretation of constitutional articles has brought the Iraqi temperament to where it is today, so this is what we want, for the constitution to be implemented as it is," she said.

US President Donald Trump on Friday spoke of his endorsement of the prime minister-designate, describing their relationship as "very strong, very powerful."

"I endorsed him. I'm now in the business of endorsing political leaders from foreign countries, countries that nobody's ever seen before," he said.