Talabani arrives in Sulaimaniya

Talabani arrives in Sulaimaniya
August 07, 2010

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Iraqi President Jalal Talabani arrived in the Kurdish city of Sulaimaniya on Saturday, coinciding with a planned visit by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to Arbil on Sunday.

“Talabani arrived at Sulaimaniya Airport coming from Baghdad. He was received by the deputies secretary general of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Koussert Rassoul and Burham Saleh as well as partisan and government officials,” a source close to Talabani told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
Earlier, the chief of the presidential cabinet of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region said that Maliki is due to arrive in Arbil on Sunday for talks with Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barazani on the current political crisis overshadowing the country.
“Maliki and Barazani will discuss ways to solve problems and form a new government,” Fouad Hussein told Aswat al-Iraq.
Maliki’s last visit to the Kurdish city of Arbil took place on May 21, when he discussed with Barazani the political process and scenarios for forming a new government.
Talabani had met with Maliki on Friday and announced after the meeting that he did not have any reservations over the incumbent Iraqi prime minister.
Talabani has reportedly advised Maliki to seek a meeting with Barazani and offer proper guarantees for him to allay Kurdish fears regarding pending issues between Baghdad and Arbil, namely article 140 of the constitution, the oil and gas sales, the Kurdish peshmerga militias and Talabani’s access to the presidential post.
AmR (S)
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