President Barzani Discusses Iraq and Regional Issues with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Jones

President Barzani today welcomed U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Ambassador Elizabeth Jones for talks on bilateral relations, the political process in Iraq, and challenges facing the region in general. Ambassador Jones, who has been engaged in talks in Baghdad for the last two days, said the United States remains committed to supporting both Iraq and the KRG within the bounds of the Strategic Framework Agreement signed in 2008 between Iraq and the United States. On the political disagreements between Baghdad and Erbil, Ambassador Jones said that the United States believes that the resolution of these disagreements coupled with the introduction of reforms by the Iraqi government is important for the whole country and will help Iraq becoming a stronger participant in the region. President Barzani said the KRG is prepared for engagement with Baghdad to address these outstanding issues but that there needs to be practical steps taken to demonstrate good will, and not just statements. In particular, he said that practical steps need to be taken on urgent issues such as the passing of hydrocarbons legislation, the holding of a long-overdue census, and implementation of Artice-140 of the Constitution, as demanded by the Constitution and per agreements between the KRG and Baghdad. The President and the Ambassador also talked about developments in Syria, particularly the impact on Iraq and the KRG, and the humanitarian plight of Syrian refugees in Kurdistan.