Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Saturday met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Munich Security Conference and invited him to attend the upcoming inauguration of the U.S. Consulate General building in Erbil.

“We discussed ways to further strengthen our cooperation and deepen our shared commitment to regional stability and security. I thanked the Secretary for his longstanding support,” the Kurdish leader posted on X.

According to a readout from the Kurdistan Region Presidency, Barzani extended an invitation to Secretary Rubio to attend the inauguration of the new U.S. Consulate General building in Erbil, to which the Secretary expressed his enthusiasm to participate.

The Kurdistan Region President also expressed his appreciation for the unwavering support from the United States toward Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, particularly in combating terrorism and fostering security and stability. He underscored the significance of maintaining this cooperative relationship with the United States.

Secretary Rubio reaffirmed the United States’ commitment as an ally, highlighting the importance of its relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. He emphasized the necessity of ongoing security and military collaboration to confront shared challenges and promote economic growth and development.

On Friday, Barzani also met with U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, and on Saturday he met with Senator Elissa Slotkin, a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services.

At the conference on Saturday, the President of the Kurdistan Region also engaged in discussions on bilateral relations with Syria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Estonia’s President Alar Karis, the Netherlands’ Prime Minister Dick Schoof, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.

Read More: Kurdistan Region President Attends Munich Conference

Barzani arrived in Germany on Friday to participate in the Munich Security Conference, which will take place from February 14-16, 2025.