US reaffirm aid commitment to Kurdistan Region

Nechirvan Barzani arrived in Baghdad on Friday for wide ranging talks with a number of Iraqi government officials and leaders, accompanied by his KRG delegation and the US Consul General to Erbil, Joseph Pennington.

At the outset of the visit, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Barzani held a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry and a number of officials and American diplomats. The meeting discussed the financial crisis facing Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, as well as the security situation and the war against terrorists Daash, the resolvement of disputes between Baghdad and Erbil in addition to bilateral relations between Kurdistan and the United States.

The two sides stressed the importance of developing and strengthening relations between Kurdistan and the US in various fields, and in this regard, Secretary Kerry stressed his country's readiness to help Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, particularly in the face of the financial crisis. He also stressed his country would continue to support and assist the Peshmerga forces in the war against terrorism, praising the role of the senior staff, and the Peshmerga forces to ward off the dangers of terrorism and the continuing victories.

The role of the international coalition in the war against terrorist organisation Islamic State, the military and humanitarian assistance to the Kurdistan Region and the Peshmerga, as well as other issues were discussed.