Kurdistan FM calls for greater US engagement in Erbil-Baghdad de-escalation

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The US shall have greater involvement in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region to help resolve Erbil-Baghdad tensions through dialogue and peaceful negotiations, said a Kurdish official on Friday.

Head of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Department of Foreign Relations (DFR) Minister Falah Mustafa and the KRG Representative to the United States Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman met officials at the US State and Defense departments to highlight the need for more US engagement, according to DFR press office.

Both Kurdish officials met with Robert Karem, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs.

“Mustafa reiterated KRG’s call for dialogue on the basis of the Iraqi Constitution and called for a joint security mechanism in the disputed territories until the implementation of Article 140,” the DFR statement reads.

Ties between Erbil and Baghdad considerably deteriorated following the Sep. 25 independence vote in the Kurdistan Region that saw 93 percent of voters favoring secession.

Mustafa “stressed the need for greater US involvement to ensure that ceasefire is enforced and disputes are resolved through dialogue.”

Karem stated that Washington DC would continue encouraging Erbil and Baghdad to address the outstanding differences through negotiations and peaceful means, according to DFR.

The two Kurdish officials also discussed the status of ethnic and religious groups and humanitarian situation in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq with Acting Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Michael Kozac, and Knox Thames, Special Advisor for Religious Freedom.

While reiterating KRG’s commitment to religious freedom, peaceful coexistence and caring for the displaced people, the Minister [Mustafa] highlighted the significant financial challenges facing KRG in sustaining its level of support for the people in need.”

Mustafa also called on Washington administration to assist the KRG further strengthen and advance democratic institutions in the Kurdistan Region, according to the statement.

Kozac noted that the US recognizes KRG’s efforts in protecting ethnic and religious components and caring for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees.

Last month, the US President Donald Trump announced America's neutrality as the tensions mounted between Erbil and Baghdad on Oct. 16 after the Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed Shia Hashd al-Shaabi militias attacked Kirkuk and other disputed territories which were under the protection of the Kurdish Peshmerga.

“We've had for many years a very good relationship with the Kurds as you know, and we've also been on the side of Iraq, even though we should have never been there in the first place. We should never have been there. But we're not taking sides in that battle," Trump said.

On Monday, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani in a press conference in Erbil criticized the US and stated that Washington DC is not playing a neutral role in the resolution of disputes between Erbil and Baghdad. He mentioned that the US supports Baghdad instead of being a mediator between its two allies.

Editing by Sam A.