Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani received the President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Bafel Talabani on Sunday, and both sides emphasized the need to expedite the formation of the new cabinet.

A statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government stated that "the meeting discussed the steps and procedures related to the formation of the tenth cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government."

According to the statement, both sides "praised the meetings they held and agreed on the importance of expediting the formation of a strong, unified, and service-oriented government that meets the aspirations of all citizens."

The statement quoted Talabani as saying, "Our meeting was very fruitful, and we agreed on many strategic issues that serve the interests of our people. Our meetings will continue, and our goal is to expedite the formation of a government that serves our citizens."

For his part, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government affirmed, "This is the second time we have held a positive and constructive meeting with the aim of bringing viewpoints closer together and discussing important issues that concern the people of Kurdistan and the region in general."

He added, "There is good progress and understanding on these issues, and I hope that the concerned teams, with the same determination, will be able to reach a comprehensive agreement on forming the government soon, which will please the people of Kurdistan."