ERBIL, Iraq: The Iraqi Kurdish regional government on Thursday said it was open to talks with Baghdad after central government forces seized a swathe of disputed territory from Kurdish fighters.
“The cabinet welcomes the initiative of Prime Minister Haider al Abadi on starting negotiations with the regional government to solve pending issues according to the constitution and principles of partnership,” it said in a statement.
“Kurdistan demands the help and contribution of the international community in sponsoring this dialogue,” it added.
The statement was issued after a meeting attended by Iraqi Kurdish prime minister Nechirvan Barzani and deputy prime minister Qubad Talabani.
On Monday and Tuesday, federal troops and allied militias ousted Kurdish forces from the northern province of Kirkuk and its lucrative oil fields, as well as formerly Kurdish-held areas of Nineveh and Diyala provinces.
On Tuesday, Abadi said the poll was now “a thing of the past” and its results void, calling for dialogue with the Kurdish region. Ahead of the operation to retake the disputed areas, Abadi had said he would not hold talks with Kurdish leaders until the results of the vote were nullified.
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