Kurdish PM Masrour Barzani recently met with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Washington. They discussed US-KRG relations, recent attacks in the region, and the budget talks between Erbil and Baghdad. Prime Minister Barzani, along with a delegation from KRG, was invited to Washington and held high-level meetings at the White House, the State Department, and Capitol Hill.
During the meeting, Sullivan expressed appreciation for the longstanding partnership between Kurdistan and the United States, and confirmed US support for a strong and economically viable Kurdistan region as outlined in Iraq’s constitution.
The two leaders discussed recent attacks on the Kurdistan Region by Iran-aligned armed groups, as well as ongoing budget issues between the KRG and the Iraqi government. The White House National Security Advisor reaffirmed US support for the KRG and Iraqi government as they work towards a durable revenue- and budget-sharing arrangement to strengthen stability and economic progress across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. PM Barzani thanked the Washington for its support and emphasized the importance of respecting the constitutional structure of the Kurdistan Region and protecting the rights of Kurdish communities.
On Monday, PM Barzani met with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington DC where they discussed the latest developments in Iraq, the challenges faced by the Kurdistan Region, and the bilateral relations between the US and KRG.Before the meeting, Blinken praised the US’ partnership with the Kurdistan Region, reiterating Washington’s support for Erbil.”Our support for a strong KRG is essential to our comprehensive approach to Iraq. The opportunity today to reaffirm this support and partnership is important and timely,” said Blinken, as quoted in a US State Department transcript.The two leaders previously met last month on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, just a day after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles at the Kurdistan Region’s capital of Erbil. Sullivan condemned the Iranian attack on Erbil.
PM Barzani’s visit to Washington follows shortly after the Iraq Federal Supreme Court’s ruling that the KRG must transfer all its oil and non-oil revenues to the federal government. The court also ordered the “nationalization” of the salaries of the Region’s employees, shifting the responsibility of paying the Kurdistan Region’s civil servants from Erbil to Baghdad.
