The outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski met with several Kurdish leaders this weekend and discussed the importance of a swift government formation now that the elections in the Kurdistan Region have been successfully conducted.
Good discussion with @masoud_barzani on the importance of a swift government formation after a successful election to respond to the needs of the people of the IKR.
— Ambassador Alina L. Romanowski (@USAmbIraq) December 1, 2024
Ambassador Romanowski met with President Masoud Barzani on Sunday. Following the meeting, she posted on X that “both sides agreed on the need to swiftly form a unified and strong new government following the first session of the sixth term of the Kurdistan Region Parliament.”
Read More: New Kurdistan Parliament to Convene on December 2
According to a readout from the Barzani Headquarters, the U.S. Ambassador “renewed her congratulations to President Barzani on the occasion of the success of the Kurdistan Parliament elections that took place last October, and considered setting the date for the first session of the Kurdistan Parliament as an important step.”
Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission last week ratified the results of the Kurdistan Region Parliament elections, with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leading with 39 seats, followed by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with 23, and the New Generation Movement with 15.
After the ratification, the Kurdish political parties had their first meetings on a possible government formation, with the KDP and PUK meeting last Saturday. The first session of the sixth term of the Kurdistan Parliament will be held on December 2.
Ambassador Romanowski also expressed her hope that the meetings between the Kurdish political parties would yield positive results and that they would agree to form the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Tenth Cabinet as soon as possible.
Ambassador Romanowski also thanked President Barzani for his continuous support and cooperation during her tenure, describing his recent visit to Baghdad as an important step in bringing the political parties closer together and improving relations between the KRG and the Iraqi federal government.
— Ambassador Alina L. Romanowski (@USAmbIraq) December 1, 2024
In a separate meeting, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also bid farewell to Ambassador Romanowski and thanked her for her work in strengthening bilateral relations between the United States and the Kurdistan Region.
According to the KRG readout, both officials agreed on the need to swiftly form a unified and strong new government following the first session of the sixth term of the Kurdistan Region Parliament.
Ambassador Romanowski expressed her appreciation for the KRG and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to strengthening relations with the Kurdistan Region.
Ambassador Romanowski posted on X that she had a pleasure meeting with Prime Minister Barzani and that they “discussedthe importance of resilient government institutions to contribute to Iraq’s stability, security, and sovereignty. A strong KRG will help expand the U.S.-Iraq 360 partnership.”
Ambassador Romanowski also met with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani. According to a readout from the Kurdistan Region Presidency, they discussed the formation of the new cabinet in the Kurdistan Region, “the prevailing circumstances in Iraq, and the evolving dynamics of U.S. relations with both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.”
Both officials discussed recent developments in the wider Middle East. U.S. Consul General to the Kurdistan Region Steven Bitner also attended the meeting.
Productive meeting with @IKRPresident Nechirvan Barzani to discuss the importance of swiftly forming the KRG to maintain Iraq's stability, sovereignty, and security. We also discussed adopting Peshmerga reform efforts and ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS.
— Ambassador Alina L. Romanowski (@USAmbIraq) November 30, 2024
On X, Ambassador Romanowski wrote that she had a productive meeting with President Nechirvan Barzani “to discuss the importance of swiftly forming the KRG to maintain Iraq’s stability, sovereignty, and security.”
