The Iraqi delegation included the ministers of planning, industry and minerals, trade, and culture as well as the governor of the central bank and the head of national investment commission.

Ahead of the meeting, KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani said that both sides wanted to resolve their disagreements.

“The meeting is to resolve the issues. We will try to resolve the issues of oil and disputed areas through continuous talks on the basis of the Iraqi constitution,” Barzani added.

According to NRT the Iraqi delegation arrived in the Kurdistan Region on Sunday morning.

Relations between the federal government and the KRG have been tense over the last five years because of disagreements over oil, the budget, land, and sovereignty.

A revenue-sharing deal struck between Baghdad and Erbil in December 2014 collapsed after the KRG stopped transferring oil to the federal State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) and began trying to sell oil on international markets.

Baghdad in turn stopped sending budget payments to Erbil.

The Council of Representatives passed the 2019 federal budget law in January, which included several measures designed to normalize and improve relations between Erbil and Baghdad.

The international community has been especially vocal in its support for continued dialogue between Erbil and Baghdad.

Reporter’s code: 50101