Iraq’s Barzani meets Iranian envoy to Baghdad in Erbil

By Aref Youssef

ERBIL, Iraq (AA) – Massoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and former head of northern Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), has met with Iranian Ambassador to Iraq Iraj Masjedi.

In a Friday statement, Barzani's office said the meeting -- held last night in Erbil, the KRG’s administrative capital -- had tackled “political developments” and continued efforts to form the semi-autonomous region’s next government.

Barzani also reportedly spoke to Masjedi about current relations between Erbil and Baghdad.

According to the statement, both sides stressed the importance of enhancing relations between Iraq’s Kurdish region and Iran.

Since the Kurdish region held parliamentary polls last September, efforts to form a new government have been stymied by differences between Barzani’s KDP and the Sulaymaniyah-based Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).