During his meeting with the Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, the US National Security Council Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, Mr. Brett McGurk reiterated that the United States will continue to support Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, emphasizing that Iraq and the Kurdistan Region can place reliance on the US partnership to confront and eliminate ISIS. Mr. McGurk also expressed his condolences to the families of the fallen Peshmarga heroes who recently sacrificed their lives in the fight against ISIS.

At the meeting today in Erbil, President Nechirvan Barzani referred to the significance of the timing of Mr. McGurk’s visit to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region and affirmed that the United States’ continuing commitment and support to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region conveys an important message amid shifting US-led combat mission in the country.

At the meeting, also attended by the US Ambassador to Iraq and US Consul General in Erbil, the recent Iraqi elections and the results, the future of the political process in the country, multilateral talks among Iraqi factions and parties and ongoing efforts to build the new federal government in Baghdad were highlighted. Discussions also focused on the security, military and financial statuses in Iraq, ISIS attacks and movements, coordination and cooperation between the Peshmarga and the Iraqi army, Erbil-Baghdad relations, the Iraq-US strategic dialogue and ways to develop bilateral relations.

The President and Mr. McGurk agreed that ISIS remains a genuine danger which necessitates the continued support of the international coalition to Iraq to confront and defeat the terrorist group. They also deemed the partnership and coordination among Iraqi parties and factions necessary to be able to form an inclusive government which responds to the grievances of the Iraqi citizens and preserves peace and stability.

Other topics of discussions included the internal developments in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq’s relations with countries in the region and in the wider world, the regional developments, the situation in Syria and the Kurdish question in the country, and also other issues of mutual interest.