U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on April 8 told reporters that representatives from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) will participate in the U.S.-Iraq Higher Coordinating Committee meeting next week.

“The United States supports a strong, resilient Iraqi Kurdistan Region within a sovereign, stable, and secure federal Iraq. And we encourage the Government of Iraq and the KRG to redouble efforts to resolve longstanding issues, bringing economic benefits to all Iraqis,” he said.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani is scheduled to visit the United States on April 15, where he is expected to discuss Erbil-Baghdad relations, among other topics.

Read More: U.S. Ambassador Underlines Leveraging Oil and Gas in Kurdistan Can Help Iraq

In a meeting on April 2 with Iraqi Minister of Oil Hayyan Abdul Ghani, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Alina L. Romanowski underlined that leveraging oil and gas resources based in the Kurdistan Region “can assist Iraq in advancing towards energy autonomy.” 

On March 25, 2023, independent oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through Turkey were stopped after a Paris-based international arbitration court ruled in favor of Baghdad against Ankara. 

To date, exports have yet to resume, despite ongoing dialogue among officials from Turkey, Iraq, and the KRG.

During a meeting between the U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on March 26, U.S. Secretary Blinken also encouraged efforts to enhance the Baghdad-Erbil relationship.

Moreover, in February, during an official visit to Washington, D.C., KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani called on the Biden administration to find a solution to accelerate the resumption of oil exports.

In a letter released on March 28, a number of Republican members of Congress urged the Biden administration to make the resumption of the Kurdistan Region’s oil exports a precondition for any visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Sudani to the United States.