Earlier this month, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Manama Dialogue, the annual conference in Bahrain. The meeting came at an important time as the fight against ISIS continues in Iraq and Syria, and Kurdistan faces other simmering security challenges. Prime Minister Barzani thanked America for its continued support and Secretary Austin expressed appreciation for the Peshmerga’s critical contribution to the fight against ISIS.

The Prime Minister also met Brett McGurk, the Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa at the US National Security Council, at the Manama Dialogue where they discussed Iraq’s recent elections and more ways Washington can help to improve Erbil-Baghdad relations.

We welcome these meetings and hope to see more visits and exchanges by high officials.

I was honored to take part in a moving ceremony in Erbil on November 21 to pay respect to the fallen Peshmerga and American soldiers killed in Iraq. The ceremony was organized by the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs and attended by several families of fallen Kurdish and American soldiers. US Consul General Robert Palladino delivered a speech in which he said, ‘Your courageous family members, who made the ultimate sacrifice for their countries, did not do so in vain.’ Bonnie Carroll, President of the NGO Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, also spoke at the ceremony and laid a wreath in memory of the lives lost.

Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has just announced the final results of the October elections. Serious discussions on the formation of the next cabinet should begin soon, although Iraq has a record of lengthy delays before a new government is announced. 

In the aftermath of the early and unconfirmed results, which shocked some of the parties that lost seats, there were threats of violence against IHEC and others. Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi faced an assassination attempt on November 7. Several of his guards were injured in the attack that was met with condemnation by Kurdish and Arab leaders as well as the United States and other countries.

It is hoped that the crisis is now over, and Iraq can move forward towards forming a government that delivers services to the people, promotes equity and remains committed to the Iraqi constitution.

One of the critical issues that the new government will have to tackle is the ongoing threat from ISIS terrorists who continue to launch attacks against the peshmerga in the disputed territories. The KRG has been calling for joint patrols, between the peshmerga and Iraqi security forces, so that ISIS can be eliminated. Joint coordination centers have been established but work on the ground remains disjointed and is costing lives. 

Sadly, migrants from the Kurdistan Region have suffered at the hands of human-traffickers, smugglers and a political standoff between European countries. Several thousand migrants from various countries, including Kurdistan Region, have been stranded on the Belarus border with Poland as part of a wider political dispute. The KRG has organized flights for those who wish to return to Kurdistan and Prime Minister Barzani has spoken with European leaders to try to resolve the crisis.

More than 25 migrants, most of them believed to be from Kurdistan Region, drowned in the English Channel after their boat capsized last week. The tragedy has sparked an angry debate between Britain and France and shock and bereavement for families in Kurdistan. The KRG has announced that it will investigate the causes of migration.

On a less somber note, Slemani celebrated its 237th anniversary this month since its founding in 1784. The city, famous for its patriots, poets and painters, has been recognized by the KRG as Kurdistan’s capital of culture and has been designated by UNESCO as a creative city of literature. Slemani is also a hub for trade and industry.

Representative to the United States

Kurdistan Regional Government

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani spoke at length to Guardian journalist Martin Chulov at the Middle East Peace and Security (MEPS) Forum at the American University of Kurdistan in Duhok. Asked about several pressing issues, the Prime Minister shared his views on the migrant crisis, the economy, Kurdistan’s relations with Baghdad, Syria, Iran and the United States, and the impact of climate change on the region.

Aziz Ahmed, Deputy Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, shed light on the KRG's ongoing economic reforms at the Middle East Peace and Security Forum at the American University of Kurdistan earlier this month. The conference was attended by the leadership of the Kurdistan Region as well as well as political leaders from other parts of Iraq, international and local academics and officials.