The semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq said on Thursday it welcomed Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s call for talks, Erbil-based Rudaw TV said. The referendum, in which Kurds voted overwhelmingly for independence despite Baghdad’s opposition, has triggered a crisis in the region. Abadi called for dialogue on Tuesday, saying he considered last month’s referendum “a thing of the past,” Reuters said.