In a meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, PM Masrour Barzani “emphasized on the importance of solving issues between Erbil and Baghdad in order to jointly maintain security in disputed territories,” read a statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
Barzani and Austin met on the sidelines of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Manama Dialogue for Middle East security in Bahrain. The premier stressed the importance of US engagement in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
KRG PM Masrour Barzani in Bahrain met US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin who said he offered 'deep appreciation for our continued partnership and the valuable contributions the Kurdish Peshmerga have made in the fight against ISIS.' pic.twitter.com/JSNkwUsYrN
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) November 20, 2021
Washington has maintained a strong relationship with the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. The US has provided the Kurdish Peshmerga with millions of dollars of aid over the years, namely in the fight against ISIS beginning in 2014.
The terror group was territorially defeated in 2017, but it remains a serious security threat, especially in areas where there is a security vacuum between Kurdish and Iraqi forces. Erbil and Baghdad are in protracted talks to cooperate in these areas.
“I offered my deep appreciation for our continued partnership and the valuable contributions the Kurdish Peshmerga have made in the fight against ISIS,” Austin said in a tweet.
Barzani, who is leading a KRG delegation to the forum, also met with the White House Coordinator for Middle East and North Africa affairs Brett McGurk.
Both sides discussed the latest regional developments and the relationships between Erbil and Washington, according to a KRG statement.
The US will withdraw its combat troops by the end of the year, US President Joe Biden announced in late July, as the coalition formally shifts its mission focus to advising and assisting Iraqi forces. There are currently about 2,500 US troops in Iraq, including in the Kurdistan Region. It is not immediately clear whether the shift in roles will change the number of American soldiers in the country.
