State Dept. Hails Meeting between Blinken and Barzani

WASHINGTON DC, United States (Kurdistan 24) – On Tuesday, following a meeting on Monday between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Masrour Barzani, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller provided a very positive read-out of the meeting. 

That meeting, as well as the several other meetings that Barzani held at the State Department, mark a shift in the Biden administration’s policy toward the region, and that has led to more active U.S. engagement with Erbil. 

The driver behind this shift would seem to be the increased turmoil in the Middle East, precipitated by the war in Gaza. That includes a more hostile and aggressive posture from Iran and its proxy militias.

That, in turn, has prompted the Biden administration to strengthen ties with friendly parties in the region, including the Kurds.

Among the more notable points in Miller’s read-out was his affirmation of Kurdish participation in the U.S.-Iraq Higher Military Commission (HMC), which is tasked with negotiating the transition of the mission and presence of U.S. forces in Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region.

Currently, U.S. forces are in the country as part of the Coalition to Defeat ISIS. However, the HMC talks will focus on transitioning that presence to one based on a bilateral security relationship between the U.S. and Iraq. 

State Department’s Read-out of Blinken-Barzani Meeting

“The Secretary and the Prime Minister underscored the importance of the U.S. partnership with the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR) in the context of their mutual, enduring commitment to regional security and their shared values, including good governance and respect for human rights,” Miller said in a written statement.

“Secretary Blinken expressed support for constructive collaboration between the Iraqi government and the KRG, as well as greater unity within the IKR, to advance stability and economic prosperity for all of Iraq’s people,” it continued.

“Furthermore,” the read-out concluded, “the Secretary emphasized that U.S. support for a resilient IKR would continue to be a cornerstone of the dynamic, broad-based relationship that the United States enjoys with Iraq.”

Kurdish Participation in Military Talks 

Miller’s statement was the first public affirmation that representatives of the KRG will be involved in the HMC. It is noteworthy that the KRG’s Minister of Peshmerga Affairs, Shoresh Ismail, is a member of the delegation led by the Prime Minister and participated in the State Department meetings.

“The leaders also discussed the importance of Kurdish participation in the U.S.-Iraq Higher Military Commission,” Miller's read-out said, “which will enable the transition to an enduring bilateral security partnership between the United States and Iraq, including the Kurdistan region.”

Many State Department Meetings  

Barzani and his delegation had multiple meetings with senior officials at the State Department, starting with Secretary Blinken.

They also saw Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Barbara Leaf; Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, Uzra Zeya; and Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, Geoffrey Pyatt.