Iraq's Maliki visits Kurdistan to ease tensions

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki visited the Kurdistan region on Sunday for the first time in more than two years, in an attempt to resolve a long-running dispute that has strained Iraq's unity to the limit.

The Shia premier was met on the Arbil airport tarmac by Kurdistan Regional Government President Masoud Barzani and a delegation of high-ranking Kurdish officials.

Maliki's last official trip to Kurdistan was in 2010.

"This will be an initial step on the track to finding solutions for all outstanding problems," Maliki said in a speech before a cabinet meeting in Arbil. Iraqi and Kurdish officials were due to hold further talks after that meeting.

"Our expectations should not be too high," said the Kurdistan Regional Government's chief of foreign affairs, Falah Mustafa. "The ball is in the court of the federal government in Baghdad."

Meanwhile, a suicide bomber blew up his explosive-packed car at a police checkpoint outside a Shia district in northwest Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least seven people and wounding 16 more, police officials said. Most of the victims of Sunday's bombing were policemen at the checkpoint to the Kadhimiya neighbourhood, are located.

The President of Kurdistan Region, Masoud Barzani, considered the visit of the Premier, Nouri al-Maliki, to Erbil as "Very important."

In a joint press conference with Maliki, he said "Maliki's visit is very important to settle the disputes and activate the joint committees to cooperate to settle all the disputes that Iraq is facing."

"We have agreed upon cooperating with each other in a flexible way and according to the constitution," he concluded.

/129