Tillerson expresses support for constitutional rights of Kurdistan in phone call with Barzani
The US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday expressed his concerns over recent tensions between Erbil and Baghdad in a phone call with the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday expressed his concerns over recent tensions between Erbil and Baghdad in a phone call with the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani.
“Tillerson voiced his support for the constitutional rights of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq, and hoped both sides engage in dialogue and negotiations to address outstanding issues,” the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Press office stated.
Barzani highlighted his concerns over the Federal Government of Iraq’s insistence on using military action to resolve pending disputes with the KRG.
He reiterated the Kurdistan Region’s readiness “for a genuine political dialogue with Baghdad to address issues peacefully.”
The Kurdish Prime Minister called on the international community and the US, in particular, to encourage Baghdad to engage in peaceful dialogue and refrain from utilizing military force, the statement added.
“The Kurdistan Region rejects war and violence and believes that armed conflict is in no one’s interest,” he said, adding the Kurdistan Region calls for a peaceful solution on the basis of the Iraqi Constitution.
Ties between Erbil and Baghdad have considerably deteriorated following the Kurdistan Region’s Sep. 25 independence referendum, which the central government labeled unconstitutional and illegal.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany