EU Ambassador to Iraq supports dialogue between Erbil and Baghdad

European Union Ambassador in Iraq hoped the Kurdistan Region and Iraq resolve the outstanding issues between both sides through dialogue. A statement by the Kurdistan Region’s Presidency (KRP) on Monday (October 9) said Masoud Barzani received an EU delegation in Erbil, headed by Ambassador Ramon Blecua, to discuss several issues including the relations between Erbil and Baghdad as well as the Kurdish referendum. Ambassador Blecua expressed readiness to “play an effective role in mediation between Erbil and Baghdad”, the KRP’s statement read. The ambassador also noted the “need to be more united as we collectively face the terrorists of the Islamic State”, the statement said. Tensions between the KRG and the central government hit a high in 2015, after officials from both sides accused each other of failing to abide by the terms of an oil revenue sharing deal struck by officials in December 2014.