ERBIL - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Monday received the US Ambassador to Iraq Matthew Tueller for talks on various topics, including the relations between Erbil and Baghdad.
A statement by Barzani's office explained that the pair shed light on the latest regional developments as well as bilateral ties between the Kurdistan Region and the US.
"Today I met with US ambassador Matthew Tueller. We discussed our bilateral ties and plans to deepen our already strong links. We agreed on the need for US, KRG and Iraqi forces to work together to combat the threat of ISIS terrorism," Barzani wrote on Twitter.
"The ambassador and I also exchanged views on the political situation in Iraq. The US has an important role to play with the KRG and the federal government to reach an agreement on key issues. We also reviewed ways to grow KRG-US trade and investment," the Kurdish leader continued.
Concerning the ties between Erbil and Baghdad and efforts to resolve the remaining disputes between the sides, the Kurdish premier "noted the conducive conditions aimed at resolving outstanding problems with the federal government within the framework of the constitution and in ways that recgonise the rights of the Kurdistan Region and interests of all Iraqi peoples," the statement added.
"Prime Minister Barzani also expressed serious concern about developments in the disputed territories, in particular the displacement of Kurdish families and the return of ISIS terror attacks. In that regard, the Prime Minister and Ambassador Tueller agreed on the important need for coordination between Peshmerga Forces, Iraqi Security Forces and the Global Coalition."