ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – On Tuesday, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Masrour Barzani, received a delegation in Erbil from the Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State, headed by Maj. Gen. Gerald Strickland, Deputy Commander-Stability of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR).

In the meeting, also attended by US Consul General in Erbil Steven Fagin, both Barzani and Strickland emphasized the necessity of enhancing coordination between Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi military in order to effectively fight remnants of the extremist group, according to a statement from Barzani's office.

Prime Minister Barzani highlighted KRG’s ninth cabinet’s reform package in both administrative and financial fields, also shedding light on the Peshmerga Ministry’s reform process.

The US, UK, and Germany, all leading Coalition members, have been supporting a reform project of the Ministry of Peshmerga. A key objective of the 35-point plan is to move beyond the current division within the Peshmerga forces between the two major Kurdish parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), to institutionalize a unified command structure.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Barzani stressed the importance of tackling outstanding issues between the KRG and the Iraqi federal government in a “just and fundamental manner, based on the constitution.”

Oil revenues, disputed territories, and the federal budget are among the many points of contention between the regional and federal governments.

The meeting concluded with deputy commander Strickland reiterating future Coalition support the Peshmerga which will continue to include training.

There are about 240,000 Peshmerga fighters in the Kurdistan Region. Although some have been unified under the umbrella of the Peshmerga Ministry, the majority remain divided, taking orders mainly from the political parties to which they belong.

On Friday, Amb. James Jeffrey, US Special Envoy to the Coalition and Special Representative for Syria Engagement, briefed journalists on the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Defeat-ISIS Coalition, which was held the day before.

Jeffrey explained that one of the places in which the Islamic State still operates is “in the fault lines” between the Peshmerga Forces and “the Iraqi army and certain of these militia groups,” an apparent reference to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).