On Wednesday 15 November, the European External Action Service (EEAS) spokesperson hailed the previous day's statement from the Kurdistan regional government accepting the ruling by the Iraqi Federal Court of 6 November, and thus the unity of Iraq.
The statement, which accepts the court's ruling "underlining the unity and federal nature of Iraq, and expressing its clear commitment to engage in a meaningful dialogue with the government of Iraq, based on the constitutional framework", is "a significant step", the EEAS spokesperson said in a press release.
"It should open the way to a comprehensive dialogue between the government of Iraq and the Kurdistan regional government", the spokesperson stated. This dialogue is "the only manner to resolve all the pending disputes in the interest of a peaceful and prosperous future for all Iraqi citizens", the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson stated that the EU stands ready to offer its support to such a dialogue if requested by all parties.
Iraqi Kurdistan voted for its independence in a referendum on 25 September (see EUROPE 11870). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)