Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Meeting with the Prime Minister of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Masrour Barzani
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Prime Minister Masrour Barzani of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) today at the White House. Sullivan expressed appreciation for the longstanding partnership between Kurdistan and the United States and confirmed U.S. support for a strong and economically viable Kurdistan region as outlined in Iraq’s constitution. He made special reference to the role played by the Kurdish Peshmerga in the fight against ISIS and the historic partnership between the Peshmerga and the United States. He expressed condolences to Peshmerga fighters and Kurdish civilians lost over the last decade during the campaign to defeat ISIS. He affirmed support for the security of the Kurdistan region and condemned attacks by Iran and Iranian-backed proxy groups against locations there. Sullivan also reaffirmed U.S. support for the KRG and Iraqi government as they work towards a durable revenue- and budget-sharing arrangement that strengthens stability, good governance, and economic progress throughout Iraq and its Kurdistan region.