Iraq’s President says he understood PM Maliki’s statement on the country’s Federalism

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraq ’s President, Jalal Talabani, has said after a meeting with Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, on Monday that he had informed him his “understanding of his recent statements on Iraq ’s Federalism and his notes regarding its implementation,” according to a Presidency statement on Tuesday.   “President Talabani had conferred with Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, with whom he discussed the main problems of the country,” the statement pointed out.     It quoted Talabani as saying: “We have met the Prime Minister to reach an understanding in viewpoints, regarding the main problems on the Iraqi arena and I informed him of my understanding of his statement on the Federalism, as he expressed support for Federalism being a constitutional principle, though he had some notes about means for its implementation, as well as other issues related to the recent meetings to settle the suspended problems, toward which our viewpoints had been identical.”   On his part, the statement quoted Maliki as saying: “President Talabani’s visit for us had included several issues of strategic nature and some important details, which we discussed with a positive spirit.”   “I don’t think we had been in difference towards any topics, regarding reaching a quick agreement towards marching together to settle all the problems that face the political process, security issues, the meetings of the political forces, as well as the U.S. troops presence on the Iraqi territories, along with the issue of the cabinet ministries and the reforms we spoke about in the past and all the issues related to the agreement and understanding between me and the President,” Maliki said.   Iraq ’s Prime Minister Maliki had expressed last Thursday his opposition of “anybody who tries to undermine Iraq ’s unity and the stability of the political process,” reiterating that “the completion of the building of the State of Iraq can’t be achieved unless through political stability, criticizing the idea of the formation of (Federal) Regions in Iraq .”   SKH (FT)   731