ERBIL, Iraq: A Kurdistan Regional Government delegation headed to Baghdad on Saturday to conduct dialogue with the Iraqi government in tandem with the KRG’s planned independence referendum on Monday, a Kurdish official said.
“The delegation will discuss the referendum but the referendum is still happening,” Hoshiyar Zebari, a top adviser to Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani, told Reuters.
“We said we would talk to Baghdad before, during and after the referendum.
” The KRG has said the vote is meant to give its autonomous territory a legitimate mandate to achieve independence from Iraq through dialogue with Baghdad and neighbouring powers Turkey and Iran.
REUTERS