PM Maliki arrives in Kurdistan to meet Jalal Talabani

SULÊMANI, Kurdistan region ‘Iraq’, AKNEWS + PUKMEDIA – 19.9.2012 – Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki arrived in Sulêmani city (Sulaimaniyah) in autonomous Kurdistan region on Wednesday to meet President Jalal Talabani.

Maliki arrived at the Sulaimaniyah International Airport and received by Mr. Kosrat Rasul Ali, Kurdistan Region’s vice president and the first deputy secretary general of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan PUK, Iraq’s first lady, Hero Ibrahim Ahmed, Mala Bakhtiyar Head of the Active Body of the PUK Political Bureau, members in the Political Bureau and other officials.

Maliki’s media adviser Ali al-Mousawi said that the visit by Maliki is to welcome Talabani after his treatment journey to Germany. He added the two senior officials will also discuss political situation of the country.

Talabani had met with members of the PUK political bureau as well as Kurdistan Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani. Talabani had arrived in Sulaimaniyah last Monday coming from Germany after a three-month treatment trip.

Close source to Jalal Talabani is expecting that he will start his political work in Sulaimaniyah to discuss relations with the Kurdish Democratic Party, in addition to separate meetings with other Iraqi components till a common vision is reached to solve the present crisis. The source told Aswat al-Iraq that the departure of Kurdish region president Massoud Barzani to Europe “did not astonish Talabani and will not affect his contacts plan”. He added that “continued contacts between the two leaders on the future plans took place”. Despite the optimistic atmospheres, the source did not expect quick and prompt solution to the present crisis due to the lack of confidence among all parties. “Talabani will make separate contacts with all parties till having a joint vision that will satisfy all”, the source added.