PM Barzani, US Congress delegation discuss protecting Iraq, Kurdish sovereignty

The members of congress highlighted the “special and strong” relationship between Iraq’s Kurdistan Region and the United States.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani (left) walking alongside US Congressman Mark Takano (center) and Ambassador Alina L. Romanowski (right) in Erbil, Nov. 27, 2022. (Photo: KRG)
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani (left) walking alongside US Congressman Mark Takano (center) and Ambassador Alina L. Romanowski (right) in Erbil, Nov. 27, 2022. (Photo: KRG)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Sunday discussed the importance of protecting the sovereignty of Iraq and its Kurdish region with a US Congress delegation, according to a statement.

Barzani received Congresswomen Elissa Blair Slotkin and Katie Porter as well as Congressmen Colin Allred and Mark Takano in Erbil, where they discussed Iraq’s latest political developments and the bilateral ties between Erbil and Washington, a statement from the premier’s office read. 

The Kurdish official and US delegation discussed the importance of protecting the “security, sovereignty, and stability,” of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, the statement noted.

The members of Congress highlighted the “special and strong” bond between Iraq’s Kurdistan Region and the United States, per the readout. 

They also reiterated the Congress’s support for the Kurdish region as a “successful democracy” in Iraq, it noted, praising the peaceful coexistence between the various ethnic and religious components that live in Kurdistan. 

Barzani, in return, expressed his gratitude for the continued US support, assuring the legislators that Kurdistan Region would remain a “factor of stability and security” in Iraq and the Middle East.

The premier also noted the newly inaugurated Iraqi government has a “new opportunity” to serve the country’s different components and resolve the outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad on the basis of the 2005 Constitution and its ministerial agenda.

The ongoing reform program of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), particularly the unification of Peshmerga forces and the Kurdish parties’ unity to defend the Region’s constitutional rights, were discussed in the meeting, which was also attended by US Ambassador to Iraq Alina L. Romanowski.

The delegation on Saturday similarly met with the Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani in Erbil. 

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani (left) welcoming US Congress delegation and Ambassador Alina L. Romanowski (right), Nov. 27, 2022. (Photo: KRG)
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani (left) welcoming US Congress delegation and Ambassador Alina L. Romanowski (right), Nov. 27, 2022. (Photo: KRG)
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani (top right) during his meeting with US Congress delegation in Erbil, Nov. 27, 2022. (Photo: KRG)
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani (top right) during his meeting with US Congress delegation in Erbil, Nov. 27, 2022. (Photo: KRG)