Kurdistan security chief talks Iraq, Syria with French diplomat

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) Masrour Barzani held a "lengthy meeting" in Erbil with French Ambassador to Iraq Bruno Aubert in which they discussed the latest developments in Iraq and Syria, a statement from the KRSC office read.

A topic of mutual concern was the situation in Syria, where the territorial fight against the Islamic State recently came to a conclusion as Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reclaimed in late March the last piece of land from the terrorist group in the country's east.

Islamic State members continue to wage an insurgency across the country as they have in Iraq, concentrated in areas they once controlled. As such, they still pose a security threat to the US-backed forces in Syria.

However, the de facto autonomous areas to the north and east of the country, administered by the SDF's political wing, face another challenge. Their territory is landlocked between the Syrian government to the south and west and the Turkish government to the north.

Since last June, as the central government regained more and more of its territory, delegations from the Kurdish-led regions of Syria have participated in talks with the Syrian regime in Damascus and Qamishli, but have yet to reach a meaningful agreement.

Barzani stressed during his meeting with Aubert "the need for a political settlement that ends the conflict on one hand and addresses the legitimate rights and safety of its peoples, including the Kurdish people," on the other.

On the topic of Iraq, the security chief noted that dialogue between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) would continue to yield a "common understanding" on issues of bilateral concern, the KRSC statement added.

Regarding the formation of the new KRG, Aubert wished success and a speedy process for Barzani, who is his party's nominee to take the premiership. 

Editing by John J. Catherine