Barzani to US: Kurdistan independence referendum solution, not obstacle

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region President in a meeting with the US Secretary of State stated that the Region’s independence referendum would not affect the fight against terror.

The US Secretary of Defense James Mattis and his accompanying delegation arrived in Erbil on Tuesday and met with the President of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani and other high-ranked Kurdish officials.

The Secretary's delegation included Ambassador Brett McGurk, the Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State (IS) as well as a number of military officials and other diplomats.

According to a Kurdistan Region Presidency (KRP) statement, President Barzani and Secretary Mattis discussed the Kurdistan independence referendum scheduled for September 25 of this year after exchanging gratitudes regarding cooperations in combatting IS.

Mattis expressed his understanding for the rights and demands of the people of Kurdistan and pointed out the concerns and position of his country on holding the referendum, the KRP statement said.

Mattis said that his country did not predict a referendum would be held at this time and the US think that the process could hamper the war against Islamic State (IS) and create problems for the Erbil and Baghdad joint works in the war against terror.

The statement stated that US Secretary of Defense considered the dialogue between Erbil and Baghdad a positive step, expressing the US support for the continued negotiations.

For his part, the President described the referendum as a solution and not an obstacle, the statement said, adding that no real partnership has ever existed between Erbil and Baghdad.

"The President then reassured Secretary Mattis and the accompanying delegation that the referendum would not create any problems for the operations against the terrorists of the Islamic State and that the courage of the Peshmerga forces shall remain unwavering against this brutal common enemy which poses a threat to all of the humankind and not only to Iraq and Kurdistan," KPR statement read.

President Barzani said that holding a referendum is a democratic right and does not contradict with democratic principles.

Secretary Mattis described the meeting as an "honest discussion between two friends," and President Barzani stated that he hoped for all issues to be resolved through peaceful means and through dialogue, KPR statement concluded. 

Editing by Ava Homa