Top Kurdistan Region officials meet US Envoy to Iraq
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Top Kurdistan Region officials met with the US Envoy to Iraq in Erbil, where they thanked the US for the military aid it recently provided the Peshmerga forces and discussed the latest political developments in Iraq.
US Ambassador to Iraq, Matthew H. Tueller, met with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani on Monday in Erbil to discuss Erbil-Washington relations as well as the latest political developments in Iraq.
The US Ambassador reiterated the “friendship” between the Kurdistan Region and the US, a statement from Barzani’s media office read. “The Kurdistan Region has a special place within the US’ important decision-making circles,” the Ambassador said, according to the statement.
The ambassador also noted that within the Strategic Dialogue framework, the US intends to assist the Kurdistan Region and Iraq to overcome the existing challenges, the statement added, as the envoy stressed on US “coordination” for Peshmerga forces.
The latest political developments and challenges in Iraq were also discussed, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the statement said.
Kurdistan Region President ‘thanks’ US military aid
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Tuesday “thanked” the US for its recent military aid to Peshmerga forces in a meeting with US Ambassador Tueller in Erbil.
The head of the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga Ministry announced on Tuesday that the United States had committed almost $250 million in security assistance to his ministry that would include vehicles, communications equipment, and training.
Read More: US pledges nearly $250 million in military equipment to Kurdistan Region
President Nechirvan Barzani “thanked the United States for its recent military aid to the Kurdistan Region,” a statement from the Kurdistan Region presidency noted, “as part of the US military assistance to Iraq in the fight against terrorism and ISIS.”
The US Ambassador, for his part, “commended the atmosphere of peaceful coexistence and tolerance among communities in the Kurdistan Region,” and the region’s “important role” in maintaining stability in the region. The envoy also “reaffirmed” US support to the Kurdistan Region, according to the statement.
In a meeting with Ambassador Tueller on Monday, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani expressed “concerns” over the treatment of the Kurdish population in the disputed territories.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany