Iraq’s President Talabani back to Baghdad after political tour in northern Iraq

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has returned to Baghdad on Sunday night after a political tour to Northern Iraq‘s cities of Erbil, Kirkuk and Suleimaniya, according to a Presidental statement on Monday. President Talabani had conferred in Erbil on Sunday with visiting U.S. Vice-President for National Security Affairs, Antony Blenkin, the U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad, James Jeffrey and the Commander of the U.S. Forces in Iraq, General Loyd Ostin, on the recent developments in Iraq and means to boost Iraqi-American relations. In a related development, a meeting for the Kurdistan Blocs Coalition had announced in Erbil during the presence of President Talabani and Kurdistan President, Massoud Barzani, on “insisting on the post of Iraqi President and Talabani’s assignment for a second Presidency period.” Talabani, who also holds the post of Secretary-General of  the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), had discussed in a meeting of the Party’s Kirkuk leadership the latest political developments in the country, according to a media source. The Iraqi President had also conferred in Sulaimaniya city during his tour with Iraq‘s Vice-President, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, who is a leader in the Iraqi National Coallition and an accompanying delegation, on the recent political developments, reiterating on necessity to accelerate the formation of the new Iraqi government. SKH 1