Hopes were not high for Prime Minister of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani’s visit to Baghdad. The potential of this visit to soothe the escalating tensions between the federal government and the Kurdistan region, as well as the rest of Iraq’s crises, was questioned.

The visit, however, surpassed all expectations when an agreement on solving thorny problems between both parties through laws and the constitution was announced by the Iraqi government following the meeting between Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Barzani.

At the same time, discussions focused on the necessity of putting security concerns at the heart of the relationship between both parties and enacting the law on oil and gas that has been delayed for years.

At first glance, the terminology used in the statement and the announcement of the spokesman for the government, Ali Musawi, about setting up a joint committee between both parties to settle disputes seems like a repeat of previous, futile meetings that did not contribute to placating the crisis. Yet facts and data reveal that young Barzani, who is widely described as a skillful negotiator, had succeeded previously in breaking the historical ice between the Kurds and Turkey, and did actually succeed this time, as well as in shaking off the stagnation with Baghdad.