Iraqi President Meets with Prime Minister of Iraq: Economy, Security and Upcoming Elections Were on the Agenda

The President of the Republic of Iraq, Barham Salih, met with the country's Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, on Monday, January 18, 2021. The meeting was held at Baghdad Palace in the capital. The Iraqi leaders discussed political, security-related and economic developments in the country. 
During their conversation, there was emphasis on the need to continue to consolidate stability in Iraq, to ensure safety and security for all Iraqis. This required strengthening the sovereignty of the Iraqi state as well as the authority of Iraqi security forces, to enhance their ability to uphold law and order and keep the peace. Iraqi security forces needed to be able to prevent unlawful acts and the state should have a monopoly of arms in the country.  
President Salih and Prime Minister al-Kadhimi also discussed the importance of upcoming federal elections in Iraq. All measures needed to be taken to ensure free and fair elections, so that all eligible Iraqi voters could take part in them without any concern about fraud, violence or undue pressure on voters. International observers from the United Nations had been invited to observe the Iraqi elections. 
During the meeting, the leaders also talked about economic conditions in Iraq and the federal budget for the current year. Both agreed upon the importance of passing the draft budget law so that Iraqis' pensions and other rights were safeguarded, and so that low-income earners in the country were also protected. It was also important to find a permanent solution to outstanding financial issues between the federal authorities in Baghdad and the region of Iraqi Kurdistan, that would guarantee public servants' salaries.

Presedent