U.S. Ambassador Steven H. Fagin, the Charge d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, and the new U.S. Consul General in Erbil Wendy Green met with President Masoud Barzani on Wednesday and underscored the United States’ commitment to the security partnership with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
According to the U.S. Consulate General, Ambassador Fagin “underscored the United States’ commitment to the security partnership with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and our efforts to unlock a solution on salary payments and oil exports.”
#CDA Fagin met with @masoudbarzani in Erbil with CG Green. He underscored the U.S. commitment to the security partnership with the IKR and our efforts to unlock a solution on salary payments and oil exports. #CDA Fagin called on both parties to form a government without delay. pic.twitter.com/VhYa8WRPa1
— U.S. Consulate General Erbil (@USCGERBIL) August 20, 2025
Ambassador Fagin also called on the ruling Kurdish parties to “form a government without delay.”
According to a readout of the office of President Masoud Barzani, both sides discussed the relations between Erbil and Baghdad, the resumption of oil exports, and support for U.S. oil companies that have concluded agreements with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in accordance with the Iraqi Constitution
“Both sides reaffirmed the need to resolve the issue of salaries and the Kurdistan Region’s financial entitlements, stressing that citizens’ salaries should not become part of political disputes and rivalries,” Barzani Headquarters said in a statement.
Furthermore, emphasis was placed on strengthening bilateral relations between the Kurdistan Region and the United States.
The talks also covered the upcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections, the situation in Syria, progress in reform within the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, and ongoing efforts to form the new KRG cabinet.
The KRG Ministry of Natural Resources reached a deal with the Iraqi Ministry of Oil on April 11 on a new mechanism for oil exports from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
On March 25, 2023, Kurdish crude oil exports through Turkey were stopped after an international arbitration court ruled in favor of Baghdad against Ankara, halting 450,000 barrels per day of crude oil exports to international markets.
