Nechirvan Barzani: KDP and PUK Have Not Yet Agreed, But Talks Are on the Right Track

Peregraf — Speaking at a press conference in Munich today, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani stated that while the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) have not yet reached a definitive agreement, negotiations are moving in the right direction.

"So far, the KDP and PUK have not agreed on specific points," Barzani said. "However, we are on the right track toward a result that serves the best interests of both the Kurdistan Region and Iraq."

Barzani characterized recent bilateral talks between KDP President Masoud Barzani and PUK President Bafel Talabani as positive, signaling cautious optimism despite the ongoing political deadlock.

The dispute between the KDP and PUK over the Iraqi presidency—a role reserved for Kurdish politicians under Iraq’s informal power-sharing system—continues to stall the formation of the federal government. Iraqi parliamentary sessions intended to elect a president have been repeatedly postponed due to the lack of a Kurdish consensus, prolonging the political uncertainty in Baghdad.

Domestically, the formation of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) tenth cabinet remains stalled more than a year after the October 2024 parliamentary elections. The impasse focuses primarily on key security portfolios, most notably the Ministry of Interior; the KDP insists on retaining major security positions, while the PUK is seeking a more balanced distribution of executive power.