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00:00Let's talk immediately about those fresh tensions between Baghdad and Erbil, which is, of course, the capital and the most populated city of Kurdistan in Iraq.
00:12How would you describe the state of relations right now between Baghdad and Erbil?
00:20Well, the state of relations is not good, in fact, and relations have really deteriorated recently,
00:28especially after the federal government of Baghdad have suspended payment for the public servants in Kurdistan.
00:38Kurdistan region is a federal entity, but it's part of a wider country called Iraq.
00:46And there should have been equal treatment of all the public servants in the country.
00:52We feel that this decision is discriminating against our innocent people, and it's unfair, and it's politicized, actually.
01:03It's not constitutional.
01:05In fact, the region has a share in the annual budget of Iraq.
01:11Now it's estimated to be about 12 percent of the overall budget.
01:15But Iraq is dragging its feet, it's not making its obligations, you see, to pay this installment on time.
01:29And recently they have taken a decision, in fact, with some alibis which are not correct,
01:36about the oil deals with the American companies recently signed in Washington.
01:42In fact, the region is governed by a constitution that we, the Iraqi people, voted in 2005 that that is the social contract we have in this unified country.
01:59And, in fact, it has given the region some right, you see, to do oil extractions, to do contracts with foreign companies.
02:10Of course, with cooperation with Baghdad.
02:15But really the main point of contention, Iraq by constitution is a federal entity,
02:22while the Iraqi government, the current government, deals with the region as a centralized region,
02:31not have any status, like Scotland, like Wales, like many other federal or autonomous regions in the world.
02:42It has been treating us very badly, so the relations really is not going well so far.
02:49Although there are efforts and talks to resolve this issue, these financial issues,
02:54still the Iraqi government is in debt for payment for the region, but it is still unresolved.