Baghdad – Iraqi capital Baghdad is on its way to becoming the first Iraqi city in more than a century to join a political union.

The United States, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain have signed an agreement to form a new political bloc to hold elections in the city.

The move comes after Iraq’s Kurdish region called for the election to be held under the banner of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).KRG’s Kurdish-majority region, known as the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), has been trying to wrest control of the country from the Baghdad government since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

The deal was reached at a meeting in Washington, DC, on Monday and the deal was signed by Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Kuwaiti crown prince, and Bahrain’s crown prince.

The two countries will coordinate the political transition in the KRG, which is dominated by the PUK.

Iraq’s Kurdish parliament, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), has called for a new referendum on the independence of the autonomous region from Baghdad, which has been under a US-imposed military occupation since 2003.

The KRG has argued that Baghdad has ignored the demands of its Kurdish minority, who are among the largest ethnic groups in Iraq.

The Kurdistan Regional government (KRg), however, has rejected the demands.

The KRG also said that the referendum would be held without Baghdad’s participation.

The independence referendum is not binding, and the KRg said it will not attend.

Iraq has been fighting an insurgency against the Baghdad-backed government for more than four years.

The Iraqi government has said it would not accept a unilateral declaration of independence.