KDP says meeting with PUK expected soon as parties seek to narrow disputes

ERBIL, Iraq — The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) said a meeting with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) is expected in the near term, with disagreements between the two parties to be addressed through dialogue. KDP spokesperson Mahmoud Mohammed said in a press statement that mutual contacts and visits between the parties are continuing, and that third political actors are working to bring the sides closer and prepare conditions for the meeting. Mohammed called for the Kurdistan Region parliament to be reactivated as soon as possible and for a new cabinet to be formed without delay. He said the KDP is determined to make state institutions functional and to establish a government, adding that the party does not intend to pursue other options or steps. The KDP and PUK are the two main Kurdish parties in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and coordination between them has shaped regional politics for decades. No date for the announced meeting has been announced.