ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Saturday met with US, European, and regional officials in Munich, holding talks focused on security cooperation, developments in Syria, and the Kurdistan Region’s role as a key factor of stability in the Middle East.
At the Munich Security Conference, President Nechirvan Barzani met with a US congressional delegation that included Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. “During the meeting, US relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, as well as the development of joint cooperation between them, were discussed,” the presidency said.
Barzani reiterated the Kurdistan Region’s “gratitude and appreciation for the continued support of the United States and Congress for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region,” the statement added.
The US delegation emphasized “the importance of the Kurdistan Region's role as a factor of stability in the region,” and expressed support for Iraq, preserving the Kurdistan Region’s status, resolving issues between Erbil and Baghdad, and maintaining peace and stability in the country, according to the statement.
Discussions also covered developments in Syria, with both sides stressing “the importance of protecting the rights of Kurds and all communities in both the current situation and the future constitution of a unified Syria.”
In January. Graham recently introduced a bill aimed at protecting the Kurds following January clashes in northeast Syria (Rojava) between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Damascus-affiliated forces, which displaced about 170,000 people, according to UN figures.
Barzani has played a mediating role in supporting the late-January internationally brokered agreement between Syria’s interim government and the SDF that established a ceasefire and outlined the integration of Rojava’s civil and military institutions under Damascus.
SDF chief Mazloum Abdi, senior Rojava official Ilham Ahmed, and Syrian interim Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani also met with a US congressional delegation on the sidelines of the conference.
In an interview with Rudaw on Friday, Abdi credited Barzani with a “very positive role” in mediation and diplomacy.