President Nechirvan Barzani received on Wednesday in Erbil the US Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski and her accompanying delegation that included diplomatic and military officials.

Discussions focused on the latest political developments in Iraq and the newly formed Iraqi government and the challenges ahead. The meeting underlined the need to address the urgent issues by the new Iraqi government. Both sides agreed that establishing the new Iraqi cabinet is an opportunity to resolve the pending problems, to bring about stability in the country and to support stability of the wider region.

Both sides underlined the importance of Iraq’s balanced relations with the neighboring and regional countries and agreed that the new Iraqi government has the opportunity to encourage investment and attract foreign capital by creating proper economic conditions.

Discussions also covered the US bilateral relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. Ambassador Romanowski reaffirmed the US desire to expand cooperation with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, highlighting the reform process in the Ministry of Peshmarga and the unification of the Peshmerga forces, and expressed the support of the United States to the process.

Disputes between Baghdad and Erbil and the efforts to resolves the issues, the situation in the Kurdistan Region and the importance of deescalating tensions, climate change, economic reforms, the development in the wider region and other issues of mutual importance were discussed at the meeting which was also attended by the US Consul General in the Kurdistan Region and the Head of the Iraqi Desk at the US Department of State.