President Nechirvan Barzani received a high-level delegation of the Coalition Forces, including the outgoing Commander of the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, Major General Matthew W. McFarlane, and the incoming Commander, Major General Joel Vowell, along with the incoming US Consul General in the Kurdistan Region, and a number of military and diplomatic officials.

In the meeting, President Nechirvan Barzani expressed the Kurdistan Region’s gratitude to General McFarlane for his role in commanding the Coalition Forces and the assistance and support he provided to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in the fight against terrorism and ISIS.

The President wished General McFarlane success in his upcoming mission and welcomed General Vowell as the new Commander of the Coalition Forces in Iraq and Syria, reiterating the Kurdistan Region’s readiness to continue the joint cooperation to eradicate ISIS.

The meeting discussed the latest developments in the reform process in the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs and the reunification of the Peshmerga forces. In this regard, both sides expressed concern about the problems and obstacles facing the process.

The two sides also exchanged views on the latest developments in the fight against terrorism, the threats posed by ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and the role of the international coalition. Both sides agreed that ISIS remains a threat, and that Iraq and the Kurdistan Region continue to need the support of the global coalition.

The situation in Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and the wider region were also highlighted during the meeting.