US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a telephone call with the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Nechrivan Barzani on Monday highlighted Washington’s support for talks between Erbil and Baghdad to begin.

During the call, Tillerson relayed how the US views its relationship with the Kurdistan Region as critical, according to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) press office’s statement released on Tuesday.

Tillerson metioned that the US finds the current meetings between Erbil and Baghdad ‘encouraging.’ Tillerson stressed the need to use the Iraqi Constitution as the framework within which the KRG and the Iraqi government can resolve their disputes, according to the statement.

He once again expressed Washington’s support in battling any violence that might erupt following the defeat of the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and called for further cooperation between Erbil, Baghdad, and Washington DC.

Tillerson shared his encouragement for the democratic process and optimism for the upcoming elections in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. He added that he hopes the KRG will be ‘successful in overcoming the current crisis’ and reiterated his country’s support in this regard.

Barzani, in response, warned of the risks of violence reemerging in the country. He highlighted the need for a mechanism to allow the Kurdistan Region, the Iraqi government, and the US to combat any threats, now and in the future, unitedly.

The Kurdish Prime Minister repeated the KRG’s willingness to solve tensions between Erbil and Baghdad ‘peacefully and through dialogue.’

Barzani added that Erbil still considers Washington DC a strong ally, one that will help Kurdistan overcome its current situation through meaningful support.

Other points of conflict between the Kurdistan Region and Iraq and a variety of subjects were also touched upon during the high-level telephone conversation.