Prime Minister Barzani Engages Key International Partners, Discusses Government Formation and Reforms
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – In a series of high-level diplomatic engagements, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani this week met with senior diplomats from the United States, France, the Netherlands, and the United Arab Emirates, with discussions centering on the formation of new governments in both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, bilateral relations, and ongoing reforms.
The flurry of meetings underscores the international community's keen interest in the political developments following Iraq's parliamentary elections and the KRG's internal progress.
A central theme in the meetings with the American and French representatives was the political situation in Baghdad. In his discussion with Joshua Harris, the Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, Prime Minister Barzani focused on the efforts to form a new Iraqi cabinet.
Both sides emphasized the critical need for a government that "serves all Iraqi citizens and communities without discrimination," and one that respects the constitutional rights of the Kurdistan Region within Iraq's federal system. They also agreed on the importance of ensuring the KRG receives its financial entitlements and budget share from the federal budget, and to continue oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through Türkiye’s Ceyhan Port.
Similarly, in a meeting with Patrick Durel, the Ambassador of France to Iraq, views were exchanged on the post-election landscape in Iraq. Prime Minister Barzani emphasized that "a new context has emerged" regarding the formation of the incoming government, a point also relevant to the ongoing efforts to form the KRG's own tenth cabinet.
The diplomatic meetings also served as a platform to highlight the KRG's reform agenda, which received strong international endorsement.
The U.S. Chargé d’Affaires, Joshua Harris, specifically congratulated Prime Minister Barzani on the KRG's reforms, "in particular fiscal reforms," and expressed his country's support.
The newly appointed Consul General of the United Arab Emirates, Ahmed Hassan al-Shehhi, also commended the "progress, development, and reforms achieved by the Kurdistan Regional Government across various sectors." Prime Minister Barzani, in turn, highlighted the "longstanding and special relationship" between the Kurdistan Region and the UAE and pledged the KRG's full support for the new Consul General.
The meeting with Janet Alberda, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, covered a broad range of cooperative topics. Ambassador Alberda highlighted the presence of a Dutch trade and business delegation in Erbil, signaling a desire to expand commercial ties.
Both sides agreed on the importance of supporting the unification of the Peshmerga forces and advancing reforms within the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs. Marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, they also jointly stressed the need to protect women’s rights and confront all forms of violence and discrimination.
