President Biden views the Kurdistan Region with great importance and that the Kurdistan Region is one of the country's foreign policy priorities.)

President Barzani receives a high-level delegation from the US State Department

President Masoud Barzani received, on Wednesday 7 July 2022 in Salahaddin, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Ms. Barbara Leaf and her accompanying delegation, consisting of the US Ambassador to Iraq, Ms. Alina Romanowski, and the US Consul General in Erbil, Mr. Irvin Hicks.

The US Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs conveyed President Biden's greetings to President Barzani, pointing out that President Biden views the Kurdistan Region with great importance and that the Kurdistan Region is one of the country's foreign policy priorities, stressing that the sovereignty and stability of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq are the basis of stability and progress in the region.

In another part of the conversation , the Assistant Secretary stressed that her country is very enthusiastic about relations between the Kurdistan Region and the Iraqi federal government, in addition to expressing her appreciation for the role of President Barzani in resolving constitutional issues, she called upon President Barzani, through his wisdom and influence, to contribute to a more effective role in solving problems resolving the political stalemate in Iraq.

During the meeting, President Barzani welcomed the visiting delegation and saluted President Biden with the utmost respect.
He also provided a brief on the political situation and the political reasons behind the political impasse in Iraq, stressing that the source of the crisis in Iraq is due to Baghdad's lack of commitment to the constitution, the absence of the principles of partnership, balance and consensus in the political process, and the lack of respect for the results of elections and the democratic process.

At the beginning of his speech, President Barzani said that the basic issues between the region and Baghdad must be resolved within the framework of the constitution, and that any agreement and consensus must be made on the basis of the constitution and work on it clearly and seriously. In turn, he also clarified that in Iraq there must be a principle of acceptance of the other to solve problems, and that no party should try to remove the other party and they must respect the constitution. With regard to the idea of ​​early elections, President Barzani reiterated that they have no objection to holding early elections, provided that the appropriate political and legal grounds are prepared for that, and that no party or component is marginalized, and that the results of those elections are respected.