Security, regional developments lead talks with senior Kurdistan leaders, UK military delegation

“Both sides stressed the need to preserve peace and stability in the region and de-escalate tensions through dialogue.”

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The ongoing threat of the so-called Islamic State in the region and the recent developments in the region led discussions on Wednesday between Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and a high-level British military delegation.

Prime Minister Barzani received a UK government delegation led by Defense Senior Adviser on the Middle East, Lieutenant General Sir John Lorimer, a statement on the Kurdish leader’s website read.

“Both sides stressed the need to preserve peace and stability in the region and de-escalate tensions through dialogue,” it added, referring to the escalation of developments between the United States and Iran.

Prime Minister Barzani and Lieutenant General Lorimer “agreed that ISIS poses an ongoing and serious security threat and that the international community should continue to support efforts by the Kurdistan Region and Iraq to combat terrorism.”

Indeed, the so-called Islamic State seems to be emboldened by recent tensions in the region and has launched sporadic attacks in previously liberated areas and even places it never controlled.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani (right) during a meeting with Defense Senior Adviser on the Middle East, Lieutenant General Sir John Lorimer, in Erbil on Jan. 15, 2020. (Photo: KRG Presidency)
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani (right) during a meeting with Defense Senior Adviser on the Middle East, Lieutenant General Sir John Lorimer, in Erbil on Jan. 15, 2020. (Photo: KRG Presidency)

Elsewhere on Wednesday, the British military delegation met with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani. Both sides spoke about the security situation in Iraq and recent developments in the region.

President Barzani underlined “that terror and the resurgence of ISIS is a genuine danger that poses a threat to the stability of Iraq and the region,” a statement on the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) presidency website read.

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“The president also emphasized that Iraq and [the] Kurdistan Region still need the cooperation and support from the global coalition in confronting ISIS,” the statement added.

In the wake of escalating developments between the United States and Iran, the US-led Coalition against the Islamic State announced it was suspending operations against the terrorist group to focus on ensuring the security of the military bases in Iraq from which its troops operate.