Nechirvan Barzani: The process of integrating the Peshmerga forces has been completed

According to KurdPress, Nechirvan Barzani, the President of the Kurdistan Region, announced on Thursday, September 17, 2026, on the sidelines of the Sulaymaniyah Economic Summit, that the process of integrating the Peshmerga forces has been completed.

Barzani said that an official ceremony will be held in the next few days to announce the integration of all Peshmerga forces under the framework of the Peshmerga Ministry.

The President of the Kurdistan Region described this move as a “historic step for regional stability” and stated that a positive atmosphere has been formed between the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.He expressed hope that the improvement of relations between the two parties would lead to a result that would serve the entire Kurdistan Region.

Regarding the process of forming a new cabinet in the Kurdistan Region, Barzani also said that he could not announce a specific time for the formation of the government, but a series of important meetings had been held between Masrour Barzani and Qobad Talabani, as well as between the security institutions and political offices of the two parties.

The President of the Kurdistan Region emphasized that the negotiation process was on the path to forming a government and that a suitable basis had been created for reaching an agreement.

The integration of the Peshmerga forces has been one of the main issues in military cooperation between the Kurdistan Region and the coalition countries in recent years. The existence of Units 70 and 80 affiliated with the two main parties in the region has been cited as an obstacle to the creation of a unified military force in the Kurdistan Region.On the other hand, the delay in forming a new cabinet after the Kurdistan Regional Government parliamentary elections has presented challenges to the process of managing the region's political, administrative, and financial affairs.