Deputy PM Qubad Talabani meets with new US Consul General

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (GOV.KRD) – Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani on Wednesday met with the new US Consul General in Erbil, Irvin Hick, to discuss ongoing reform process and opportunities for further collaboration between the Kurdistan Region and the US.

The Deputy Prime Minister welcomed Hick and expressed the Kurdistan Regional Government’s hopes that his time in the Kurdistan Region will help strengthen ties between Erbil and Washington as well as help stabilize the political situation in Iraq by bringing parties in Baghdad to the negotiation table.

Deputy Prime Minister Talabani also outlined progress by the Kurdistan Regional Government on its digitalization efforts, including the launch of a portal for more than 400 types of services. He stressed that the portal is an important step toward modernizing the public sector that will help reduce red tape and combat corruption.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted the Kurdistan Regional Government welcomes additional assistance from the US to advance reforms, notably within the Ministry of Peshmerga, and is keen to explore further areas of cooperation.