A US delegation affirms support for helping Baghdad and Erbil to reach an agreement

Qubad Talabani's meeting with Brett McGurk in Erbil. PUKMEDIA

Deputy Prime Minister, Qubad Talabani, met with Brett McGurk, the White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, to discuss the situation in the Kurdistan Region. Daban Shadala, the Kurdistan Regional Government's Deputy Head of the Foreign Relations Department, was also present during the meeting.

The discussion, which took place in Erbil on Tuesday, featured Amos J. Hochstein, the Special Presidential Coordinator for Global Infrastructure and Energy Security; Alina Romanowski, the US Ambassador to Iraq; and a number of US State Department advisors. The relations between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region's role in the region were among the items discussed.

The US delegation stressed the importance of continuing to support the Peshmerga forces and reforming the Peshmerga Ministry while reiterating their support for the Kurdistan Region. They hoped that the political parties in the Kurdistan Region would resolve the internal problems through dialogue and negotiations.

The two parties also reviewed the energy, oil, and gas policies for the Kurdistan Region. Qubad Talabani stated that the Kurdistan Region and the federal government needed to work swiftly to come to an agreement on the oil and gas law in order to put an end to the continuing dispute.

Qubad Talabani pointed out the following in regard to the relationship between the Kurdistan Region and the Iraqi government: "At this time, relations are at a good level, and we must seize this opportunity to reach a comprehensive and long-term agreement on the budget, the oil and gas law, and all other matters that are in the interest of all citizens of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region." 

The US delegation affirmed its support for enhancing these ties and its willingness to help the two governments come to a comprehensive agreement that will benefit the people of Kurdistan and Iraq and uphold security and stability in the area.

Translated from Kurdish by Besha Jawhar, Additional editing by Zareena Younis

PUKMEDIA