President Nechirvan Barzani received today [on Wednesday] in Erbil the US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Mrs. Barbara Leaf and her accompanying delegation.

In the meeting, attended by the US Ambassador to Iraq, Mrs. Alina Romanowski, the US Consul General in the Kurdistan Region, and a number of US diplomats, a wide range of issues were discussed including: the US relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, the latest political developments in the country and efforts to overcome obstacles, the relations between Erbil and Baghdad and their pending differences.

Ms. Leaf conveyed the greetings of the United States President Joe Biden and the US Secretary of State to President Nechirvan Barzani, stressing that her visit is to confirm the US commitment to its relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region and that the US attaches great importance to its bilateral relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, and affirming full support for the establishment of security and political stability in Iraq.

For his part, the President expressed his appreciation for the US aid and support to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. President Nechirvan Barzani reiterated that Iraq’s problems will not be solved by marginalizing any political party, and that the communities of Iraq need to find a way towards coexistence and tolerance.

The President reiterated that solving the problems of Erbil and Baghdad and drafting of the relevant laws to distribute revenues and regulate oil and gas issues are the key to solving Iraq’s problems and establishing security and stability in the country. He also stressed that Iraq, for the purpose of solving its problems, needs dialogue and understanding among political parties and communities, and the assistance of friendly countries.

The relations of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region with the neighboring countries, the developments in the Kurdistan Region and the importance of the unity of the parties in the Kurdistan Region, the situation in the wider region, and a set of issues of common concern were also highlighted at the meeting.