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Iraq: Shiite Delegation Seeks To Build Ties With Kurds

A delegation from the National Iraqi Alliance, a Shiite electoral coalition, has visited the Iraqi Kurdistan Region in hopes of revitalizing Shiite-Kurdish ties, writes Abdel Hamid Zebari.
Masoud Barzani, president of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, addresses the opening of a conference on "Recognizing Kurdish Genocide" in Arbil, about 350 km (217 miles) north of Baghdad, March 14, 2013. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTR3EZ36

The visit of a delegation from the National Iraqi Alliance, which represents prominent Shiite parties, to Erbil has restored hope in a Shiite-Kurdish alliance and placated the heightened tensions between both parties. Moreover, it opened the door for finding a solution to the current political deadlock.

A news release issued by the presidency of the Iraqi Kurdistan region noted that a high-level delegation from the National Iraqi Alliance had visited the Kurdistan region to hold discussions with the region’s president, Massoud Barzani, regarding the political impasse in Iraq and the relationship between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

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