Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met with Antony Blinken, the United States Secretary of State, in Washington, D.C., on February 26.
They discussed issues of mutual interest, developing bilateral relations and resolving disputes between the Kurdistan Region and the Federal Government.
Thank you @SecBlinken for your staunch support to the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
Our partnership is a pillar of our progress. We allied to free Iraq from dictatorship, we defeated Isis, and we now look towards new horizons of economic strength and stability -mb. pic.twitter.com/jkfsQJ6L9t
— Masrour Barzani (@masrourbarzani) February 26, 2024
The U.S. Secretary of State highlighted the importance of the Kurdistan Region as a valuable partner of the United States, emphasizing that the partnership is built on shared values, mutual interests, and shared sacrifices. Secretary Blinken expressed his pleasure over the Prime Minister’s visit and his meetings in Washington, and he showed support for the security, peace, and stability of the Kurdistan Region as a federal entity within Iraq.
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani thanked the United States for its continuous support of the Kurdistan Region and reiterated that as a partner of the United States, they have overcome numerous challenges together and look forward to continuing working together.
Discussions included protecting the Kurdistan Region’s security, resolving budgetary disputes, ensuring the financial rights and constitutional rights of the people of Kurdistan, respecting the federal system and the constitutional framework of the region, protecting the rights of the minorities in the Kurdistan Region, resuming the exportation of Kurdistan Region oil, implementing the Sinjar Agreement and the withdrawal of militias.
Both sides agreed that the decisions of the Federal Court and its actions against the Kurdistan Region and the federal system in Iraq are concerning and that respect for the Kurdistan Region’s constitutional framework, the federal system, and democratic principles in Iraq is essential. They also emphasized just provision of the Kurdistan Region budget share.
On the same day, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani held a series of meetings at the United States Department of State with key figures including Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf, Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Ezra Zia, and Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt.
The discussions aimed to bolster U.S.-Kurdistan relations, promote the rights of diverse ethnic and religious groups in the Kurdistan Region, foster a culture of peaceful coexistence, secure religious freedom, stabilise the situation in Sinjar, and streamline the resumption of oil exports from the Kurdistan Region.