Former Iraqi parliament speaker Halbusi visits Erbil for talks with Barzani

ERBIL, Iraq — Former Iraqi parliament speaker Mohammed Halbusi arrived in Erbil on Wednesday heading a senior delegation on an official visit, where he held talks with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Massoud Barzani and Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on bilateral political ties and outstanding disputes between Baghdad and Erbil. Halbusi, who leads the Taqaddum (Civil Democratic) Party, was received at Erbil International Airport by KDP official Hoshyar Zebari, Kurdistan Region Interior Minister Reber Ahmed and Erbil Governor Omid Khoshnaw. Discussions covered financial, administrative and constitutional disputes between the federal government and the Kurdistan Region, along with the completion of Prime Minister Ali al-Zeydi's cabinet appointments. Both sides also reviewed regional security and economic developments and agreed on the need to continue political dialogue aimed at resolving shared files between Baghdad and Erbil. Halbusi's delegation included Taqaddum Political Bureau head Hassan Shirwani, General Coordinator Idris Najjar and Elections Affairs chief Ahmed Tello. The visit comes amid a broader reshuffling of political alignments in Iraq.