A Kurdistan Regional Government delegation concluded a week-long visit to Washington DC with a meeting with Senator John McCain and officials at the National Security Council.


Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir, Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, and Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, the KRG High Representative to the UK, spoke to Senator McCain about the outlook for the forthcoming elections in Kurdistan and Iraq, as well as the KRG's relations with Baghdad. They also discussed the possibility of the US Congress recognising the crimes committed against the Kurds in Iraq as genocide.

Senator McCain shared with the delegation his views on the use of chemical weapons in Syria and the long-term prospects for the country. The KRG officials outlined the humanitarian crisis facing the 220,000 Syrian refugees in the Kurdistan Region and asked that the United States do more to help the refugees.

The Senator, who has visited the Kurdistan Region, said, 'The impact the Kurds have had on the history of that part of the world is quite remarkable.'

The senator backed Minister Mustafa's view that discussions about Syria, such as Geneva 2, should include Kurdish representatives and put Kurdish rights on the agenda.

The delegation had previously visited the McCain Institute to hear about its programmes on leadership and humanitarian work. The institute is based in Washington and is part of Arizona State University.

Minister Mustafa and Ms Abdul Rahman also met Puneet Talwar, Director for Iran, Iraq and the Gulf at the National Security Council at the White House. Mr Talwar has been nominated as Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs. He assured the delegation of the White House's continued interest in the region and said the United States is committed to timely elections in Iraq.

Mr Talwar and the delegation discussed the KRG's relations with Baghdad, the civil war in Syria, the Iraq-wide elections next year and the parliamentary and provincial elections in the Kurdistan Region, which take place on September 21 and November 21 respectively.

The KRG delegation held meetings with Senators Carl Levin, chairman of the armed services committee, and Ron Johnson. Senator Levin said he would support recognition of the Kurdish genocide. 'If we don't recognise and don't act against chemical weapons we are likely to see the spread of their use,' he said.

The delegation also met Congressmen Jared Polis who co-chairs the Kurdish-American Congressional Caucus, Adam Smith, Tom Petri and Howard Buck McKeon. Congressman Smith said, 'We value the relationship we have with Kurdistan and will support you going forward. We have a lot of work to go on.'

During the visit, Minister Mustafa was interviewed by CQ-Roll Call, a magazine focusing on congress, and Voice of America radio station. The delegation also met Kenneth Pollack of the Brookings Institute.

Earlier in the week the delegation met several representatives of other think tanks, congressmen, senators, journalists and officials from the State Department and USAID.

Before their visit to Washington, the delegation met with Kurdish representatives and city officials in Nashville which is home to the largest Kurdish community in the United States.


Source: KRG.org