BAGHDAD

Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced on April 8 that an independent Kurdish state is to be established, pointing out that they are moving towards a confederation with Iraq.

Barzani‘s remarks came during an interview with Sky News Arabia TV, briefed by “Shafaq News.” Barzani pointed out that the Kurdish state has become a reality and this independence should be achieved in the near future. He stated that the events occurring in Iraq will lead to a confederation system. Iraq cannot “bear more conflicts” and the leaderships should sit together to end the current crises, Barzani added.

The relations between the Iraqi Kurdish region and Baghdad have been witnessing the highest degree of tension in the last period due to the lack of agreement on a number of outstanding issues repeated every year, including the problem of the Iraqi public budget, the export of oil from the region and the application of the constitutional Article 140, as well as political differences on power management in Baghdad.