BAGHDAD, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi on Thursday met with Masoud Barzani, leader of Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), who made his first visit to Baghdad after the disputed Kurdish independence referendum last year.
Barzani, accompanied by a high-level delegation, arrived in Baghdad airport earlier Thursday, where he was received Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi and leader of the Fath Coalition, Hadi al-Ameri.
Barzani told reporters that "our relationship is old and we have contributed together, since before the overthrow of (Hussein Saddam) regime."
He hailed Mahdi's election as good news, noting that the prime minister played "a major role in building the new Iraq despite the difficult problems we faced, and had a major role in drafting of the constitution."
Barzani expressed his full support for Mahdi, adding that "we will continue working together in the future to strengthen bilateral relations."
For his part, Mahdi praised Barzani as a well-known "old struggler" and "one of the leaders of the democratic transformation in Iraq and the overthrow of dictatorship."
"He is a great architect to build relations not only in Iraq, but in the region and the world as well. He has a strong and intensive program of meetings with Iraqi leading figures. We hope to repeat these visits whether in Baghdad or in Erbil to solve many problems that we face," Mahdi said.
Barzani also held a meeting with Ameri to discuss the political situation in the country.
Speaking at a joint press conference after the meeting, Barzani said his visit to Baghdad was aimed at seizing the new opportunity in Iraq for building better relations and support the new prime minister.
"Our goal is to find the best ways to enhance trust, establish a strong relationship and correct the mistakes that accompanied our march before," Barzani said.
Ameri said he is "looking forward to having one future, to address the problems in the spirit of brotherhood, to fight against corrupt people and reconstruct Iraq."
Barzani is also scheduled to meet with other leading political figures during his two-day visit to Baghdad, according to a statement issued by Barzani's KDP office.
The Kurdish leader's visit to Baghdad is regarded as an indication of the easing of the tense relations between Erbil and Baghdad that followed the controversial referendum on the independence of the Kurdistan region and other disputed areas on Sept. 25 last year.
The independence of Kurdistan is opposed not only by the Iraqi central government, but also by other countries as it would threaten the territorial integrity of Iraq and its neighboring countries, especially Turkey, Iran and Syria, where a large number of Kurds live.
