Nechirvan Barzani, the head of northern Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), has reiterated calls to improve the KRG’s relations with Baghdad.

Barzani made the assertion at a Wednesday press conference held in Erbil, the KRG’s administrative capital.

“The region has entered a new phase, which calls for improved relations with the central government,” he said.

“The [Kurdish] region will spare no effort to normalize relations with Baghdad and safeguard our rights in accordance with the [Iraqi] constitution,” he added.

Barzani also stressed the need for the KRG “to continue its ongoing reform efforts and combat the scourge of financial and administrative corruption”.

Ties between Baghdad and the KRG have been strained since last September, when the latter held an unconstitutional referendum on regional independence.