President Barzani Receives U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires in Iraq

President Masoud Barzani received Mr. Joshua Harris, Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, in Birmam.

During the meeting, Mr. Harris reaffirmed U.S. support for the Kurdistan Region within a federal Iraq and expressed respect and appreciation for President Barzani’s role in Iraq’s political process since 2003 and going forward. He also underscored Washington’s desire to build a strategic partnership with both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, stressing the importance of Iraq making independent decisions and prioritizing its national interests to enable stronger U.S.–Iraq relations.

President Barzani reiterated his longstanding call for the supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law in Iraq, and for partnership, balance, and consensus to remain the foundations of relations between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad. He emphasized the need to uphold these principles in the next Iraqi government, implement the constitution, and end what he described as unjust treatment of the people of Kurdistan regarding the federal budget and other issues. He also stressed that Iraq should maintain independent decision-making and develop balanced relations with neighboring countries.

The meeting also reviewed the situation in Syria and the political process in the Kurdistan Region.