Baghdad: Iraqi President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi on Saturday called on political rivals to make concessions and sit at the dialogue table in a bid to find a way out of the lingering stalemate.

The Iraqi leaders made the call in speeches addressing the Islamic Conference to Combat Violence against Women, held in Baghdad.

Salih underlined that the existing challenges haunting the country necessitate good understanding and concessions from all parties only to serve Iraq's national interests and planned reforms.

He urged everybody in the country to resort to dialogue regardless of outstanding disagreements and to fend off escalation and strife, where there would be no winners.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi

For his part, the prime minister stressed that all political rivals should make concessions so as to avert the nation being dragged into further political conflicts and challenges.

He added that the national dialogue initiative is the sole right way to solve the country's political crisis.

Iraq has been embroiled in a stifling political crisis due to the failure of political blocs to form a new government following November parliament elections.