Peregraf — Takadum Party leader and former Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi visited Erbil on Thursday, where he met with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani and Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, as both sides signaled continued efforts to rebuild relations after months of political tensions.
Speaking to reporters in Erbil, Halbousi acknowledged past disagreements with the KDP but said the current political and security situation required closer coordination.
"Our views may have differed in the past, but higher interests and the current crisis require us to coordinate our positions," he said.
According to a statement from the KDP, Masoud Barzani and Halbousi discussed Iraq's political situation and recent regional developments, as well as relations between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government.
The two sides also stressed the importance of coordination among Iraq's political parties to overcome political obstacles and resolve outstanding disputes.
In his own meeting with Halbousi, Masrour Barzani said they agreed on the need to strengthen cooperation and coordination among Iraq's political forces to address the country's challenges.
"We agreed on the importance of protecting Iraq's democratic and federal system, and supporting the federal government to safeguard the constitutional rights of all components and serve all Iraqi citizens fairly and without discrimination," Masrour Barzani said.
In May, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met Halbousi in Baghdad through an initiative led by Khamis al-Khanjar. Masrour Barzani later held his own meeting with Halbousi during a separate visit to the Iraqi capital — part of the broader effort to rebuild ties after months of strained relations.
Relations between the KDP and Halbousi deteriorated over recent months amid disagreements that spilled into the media and parliamentary politics, particularly during the process of selecting a new Speaker of Iraq's Council of Representatives, when the KDP publicly opposed Halbousi's preferred candidate.