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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. Photo: KRG website
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a telephone call to Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Tuesday, with Pompeo affirming the US’ support for the new KRG government and encouraging improved Erbil-Baghdad relations.
Pompeo congratulated Barzani on the formation of the KRG’s new cabinet and gave backing to his promises of anti-corruption reform, according to a Tuesday readout from the KRG website.
Barzani informed Pompeo that Erbil and Baghdad are working to solve contention surrounding security, territory, budget and oil and gas using the Iraqi constitution - for which the US Secretary of State pledged his assistance.
A later released statement from the office of the US State Department confirmed the phonecall, adding that Pompeo "stressed continued appreciation for progress" in Erbil-Baghdad relations.
Relations between the KRG and Iraqi federal government hit their lowest ebb in the immediate aftermath of the Kurdish independence referendum in September 2017.
While relations between the two have shown significant improvement, Erbil and Baghdad are currently locked in a tussle over the Region’s independent oil sales, which had led Baghdad to scrap Erbil’s share of the federal budget.
A January 2019 bill requires the KRG to export 250,000 barrels of oil per day through Iraq’s state oil-marketing company SOMO and hand over all revenues to the central treasury. However, the KRG has so far failed to keep its end of the deal.
Both Barzani and Pompeo agreed that Islamic State (ISIS) remain a “regional threat”, for which continuous, coordinated action between Washington, Baghdad and Erbil is needed, according to the readout.
Barzani insisted on the importance of continued US security and economic support to Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region.
The US has led the Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State (ISIS) and provided support in weapons and training to Iraqi and Peshmerga forces through Baghdad. The coalition’s air force is currently engaged in Operation Will of Victory, an Iraqi-led mission to eradicate ISIS remnants from provinces blighted by its continued violence.
The United States also continues to support Iraqi and Peshmerga forces through training and professionalization efforts.
Washington directly funds two Peshmerga brigades, and Congress is reviewing a $750 billion defense budget for Fiscal Year 2020. It includes a $126 million allocation for Peshmerga salaries and $95 million for Peshmerga reforms.
Relations between the KRG and Iraqi federal government hit their lowest ebb in the immediate aftermath of the Kurdish independence referendum in September 2017.
While relations between the two have shown significant improvement, Erbil and Baghdad are currently locked in a tussle over the Region’s independent oil sales, which had led Baghdad to scrap Erbil’s share of the federal budget.
A January 2019 bill requires the KRG to export 250,000 barrels of oil per day through Iraq’s state oil-marketing company SOMO and hand over all revenues to the central treasury. However, the KRG has so far failed to keep its end of the deal.
Both Barzani and Pompeo agreed that Islamic State (ISIS) remain a “regional threat”, for which continuous, coordinated action between Washington, Baghdad and Erbil is needed, according to the readout.
Though declared defeated in Iraq in December 2017, ISIS remnants operate as sleeper cells in areas blighted by security vacuums due to dispute over their control by Erbil and Baghdad. The group has since resorted to insurgent tactics including bombings, ambushes, kidnapping, extortion, and arson.
Barzani insisted on the importance of continued US security and economic support to Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region.
The US has led the Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State (ISIS) and provided support in weapons and training to Iraqi and Peshmerga forces through Baghdad. The coalition’s air force is currently engaged in Operation Will of Victory, an Iraqi-led mission to eradicate ISIS remnants from provinces blighted by its continued violence.
The United States also continues to support Iraqi and Peshmerga forces through training and professionalization efforts.
Washington directly funds two Peshmerga brigades, and Congress is reviewing a $750 billion defense budget for Fiscal Year 2020. It includes a $126 million allocation for Peshmerga salaries and $95 million for Peshmerga reforms.
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