Prime Minister Barzani Meets with U.S. Secretary of State

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Friday afternoon.

At the start of the meeting, Prime Minister Barzani thanked the United States for its continued support of the Kurdistan Region, and in particular, expressed appreciation for Secretary Rubio’s remarks on the Hill on the resilience of the Kurdistan Region.

Secretary Rubio affirmed the United States’ commitment to a strong and stable Kurdistan Region, within federal Iraq, describing it as a key part of U.S. regional strategy under President Donald Trump. He also emphasized that the United States stands ready to support the KRG across a range of areas.

The Secretary praised the Kurdistan Region’s role in hosting refugees and protecting the rights of religious and ethnic minorities.

The two officials also discussed the need to resume oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through the Iraqi Turkish pipeline.

Other topics included the KRG’s reform efforts to diversify the economy and the importance of protecting the Region’s constitutional rights and financial entitlements.