ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Tuesday hosted US Special Envoy to Iraq and Syria Tom Barrack and Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Erbil, where they discussed the latest developments in Syria and the region, stressing the importance of joint efforts to advance peaceful solutions and regional stability.
“Today, I hosted a joint meeting with General Mazloum Abdi and U.S. Special Presidential Envoy Tom Barrack,” President Barzani wrote in a statement he posted on X.
“We exchanged views on the latest developments in Syria and the region, emphasizing dialogue, coordination, and joint efforts to preserve stability, enhance security, and support peaceful solutions,” he added.
Earlier in the day, the Kurdistan Region Presidency reported that President Barzani held a separate meeting with Barrack to discuss Washington’s ties with Erbil and Baghdad, with both sides underscoring “the importance of advancing US-Iraq ties into a balanced, long-term economic partnership that serves the interests of both countries.”
The Presidency further quoted the US envoy as reaffirming the US’s “strong support” for the new Iraqi government led by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. President Barzani, meanwhile, reiterated Erbil’s “support for the Zaidi government and for efforts to resolve Iraq’s challenges, particularly the outstanding issues between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government, within the framework of the Iraqi constitution.”
In a seeming nod to Prime Minister Zaidi’s recent efforts to bring Iraqi armed groups - many of which align with Iran - under state authority, the Kurdish President and the US envoy stressed “the importance of keeping all weapons under the control of the [Iraqi] state.”
On the regional front, the two officials also welcomed the memorandum of understanding reached between Iran and the US to end the war, expressing hope that “it would help bring peace and stability to the region.”
Of note, ahead of his meetings with President Barzani and SDF Chief Abdi, the US envoy held talks with Kurdish and Iraqi leaders in Baghdad and Erbil on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
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Last updated at 5:10 pm.
