Barzani sworn-in as new Kurdistan PM

Erbil: Masrour Barzani was confirmed as the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Wednesday alongside the ministerial cabinet.

Following his inauguration, Barzani vowed to make Kurdistan stronger, improve ties with Baghdad and diversify the region's economy.

He said, "After working since September 2018 to put together a truly inclusive government, my commitment now is to work together with every party and every part of our nation to build a strong KRG that serves the people, not the other way around. We cannot succeed in building a strong government if we allow petty divisions and small disagreements to drive us apart."

Barzani called for further progress in developing a stable and constructive partnership with Iraq's federal government.

"Erbil and Baghdad both want security and prosperity, built on a foundation of mutual respect and cooperation," he said. "This will include securing our rightful share of government revenue, by settling once and for all the division of revenue formula that determines the annual budget allocation for Kurdistan."

Concerning Kurdistan's economy, Prime Minister Barzani highlighted the region's over-reliance on oil and gas, and promised to overhaul the public sector.

"We must ensure our government serves the people of Kurdistan in a fully transparent and accountable manner," he said. "This will include securing the public finances to pay down our debts, introducing regulatory reforms that allow businesses to thrive, attracting more foreign investment and enabling the development of new infrastructure."

He called on the international community to support Kurdistan's new government and its reform programme, while helping to protect the region's status as a haven for persecuted and displaced people.

"Today, around 1.25 million internally displaced people from elsewhere in Iraq live in Kurdistan, alongside almost 275,000 refugees from neighbouring countries,” he commented. "We hope our friends and allies will continue offering their support to Kurdistan, as we remain a haven of tolerance in an uncertain part of the world."