On Tuesday, President Masoud Barzani received separate delegations from the United States and France to discuss the outcome of the last Iraqi parliamentary elections and the upcoming formation of the future Iraqi government.
According to a readout from the Barzani headquarters, France’s Ambassador Patrick Durel congratulated President Barzani on the successful elections and expressed hope that future discussions and negotiations between the political actors in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq would proceed effectively, so that a capable government could be formed to meet the demands of the Iraqi people.
The French delegation also met with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, and exchanged views on the situation in Iraq following the parliamentary elections, including ongoing efforts, discussions, and procedures related to the formation of the new Iraqi cabinet.
They also addressed the progress toward forming the Tenth Cabinet of the KRG. Prime Minister Barzani emphasized that a new context has emerged regarding the formation of the incoming government. So far, the formation of a new cabinet has been delayed due to disputes between the ruling Kurdish parties since the Kurdistan Region elections in October.
Furthermore, President Masoud Barzani also received a U.S. delegation led by Joshua Harris, the Charge d’Affaires at the U.S. Mission to Iraq. According to a readout from the Barzani headquarters, the U.S. Charge d’Affaires congratulated President Barzani on the success of Iraq’s parliamentary elections and commended his efforts to ensure the smooth conduct of the elections.
They also discussed the post-election steps of Iraqi political parties toward forming the new federal government and the relations between the KRG and the federal government of Iraq.
During the meeting, President Barzani also emphasized the continuation of dialogue among all Kurdish parties to form the new KRG cabinet.
Moreover, the U.S. delegation also met with Prime Minister Barzani, in which both sides emphasized the importance of forming a government that serves all Iraqi citizens and that respects the constitutional rights of the Kurdistan Region.
During the meeting, U.S. Charge d’Affaires Harris congratulated Prime Minister Barzani on the KRG’s reforms across various sectors, in particular fiscal reforms and expressed his support.
Additionally, the U.S. delegation also met with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, viewing the success of the parliamentary elections as a significant and positive development and expressing hope that it would advance the political process in Iraq and meet the expectations of its citizens.
The discussions also addressed relations between Erbil and Baghdad, cooperation among Kurdish parties, the situation within the Kurdistan Region, and the broader regional context.
KRG Prime Minister Barzani and Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani separately received Janet Alberda, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Iraq, during which Ambassador Alberda emphasized strengthening bilateral relations and highlighted the presence of a Dutch trade and business delegation in Erbil exploring commercial opportunities with the Kurdistan Region.
Both sides agreed on the continued importance of supporting the unification of the Peshmerga forces and advancing reforms within the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs.
