Kurdish PM congratulates ExxonMobil chief on nomination as US Secretary of State

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region--Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani congratulated ExxonMobil Chief Executive Officer Rex Tillerson on Wednesday on his nomination as the next US Secretary of State, describing him as someone who helped develop the region's natural resources sector.

"On behalf of the people of Kurdistan I congratulate Rex Tillerson on his nomination as the next U.S. Secretary of State." PM Barzani said in a Facebook post.

"In his role as Chairman and CEO of Exxon-Mobil he worked closely with the Kurdistan Regional Government in developing our natural resources, and thereby helping to improve the lives of our people." said Barzani's post.

The Kurdish prime minister said: "If he receives confirmation we have high hopes that he will be a reliable partner. I look forward to meeting him again soon."

US president-elect Donald Trump has chosen Tillerson to be his secretary of state.

"In October 2011, ExxonMobil signed six Production Sharing Contracts covering more than 848,000 acres in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq." the US energy giant says on its website.