Erbil governor proposes national forum for Iraqi cities

ERBIL, Iraq — Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw said Thursday that relations between Iraqi cities should be strengthened, as he hosted Baghdad Governor Atwan al-Atwani for talks aimed at sharing municipal experience across governorates. Speaking at a joint press conference in Erbil, Khoshnaw said the Kurdistan Region attaches importance to the current federal government and described the visit as part of an effort to exchange best practices between provincial administrations. Khoshnaw said Erbil had recently received the governor of Najaf, was hosting the governor of Baghdad on Thursday, and expected to welcome the governor of Saladin in the coming period. He said the meetings were designed to improve service delivery and transfer successful local initiatives between cities. Al-Atwani said the Baghdad delegation had traveled to Erbil to learn from its experience and proposed that Erbil host a forum and conference bringing together all Iraqi cities. Under the proposal, each governorate would present its projects, achievements and challenges. He said provincial governments form the second tier of public service after the federal government and must be backed by appropriate legislation and financial allocations. Al-Atwani also said the crises Iraq has faced in recent months should serve as a warning to prepare for the future. No date has been announced for the proposed forum.