The joint PUK-Goran Council in Baghdad met with the Iraqi Prime Minister Haydar Ebadi, the al-Hadba leader Osama al-Nujafi and the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq leader Ammar al-Hakim.

The joint council met with UN representatives in Baghdad yesterday, and the Iraqi Parliament’s President Salim al-Jabouri today. The council, composed of Ala Talabani, Bahtiyar Şawis, Şiwan Dawidî from the PUK and Hûşyar Abdullah, Kawa Mihemed and Serwa Abduhwahid from Goran, shared information on the agreement reached on May 17 and addressed the problems between the Kurdistan region and Baghdad during the meeting.

Members of the council emphasized that the agreement of May 17 did not target any political entity or party, but aimed to improve the relations between Kurdistan and Baghdad and contribute to the solution of problems through dialogue.

Regarding the solution of the problems between Baghdad and Hewler, the council called upon everyone to take action, emphasized the need for acknowledging the rights and privileges of the people of Kurdistan, and said that peshmerga forces should received their rightful salaries.

The party leaders that met with the council stated that the agreement between the PUK and Goran was important for the resolution of the crisis in federal Kurdistan and the problems in Iraq, and underlined the need for keeping the dialogue alive.

The joint council is expected to meet with Nouri al-Maliki, the president of the State of Law Coalition, today as part of its Baghdad visit.