Erbil, Washington need to keep communicating: Pelosi

Rudaw

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Nancy Pelosi, former speaker of the United States House of Representatives, told Rudaw on Friday that it is "important" for both Washington and Erbil to “keep our communication.”

“I think it is really important for us [Washington and Erbil] to keep our communication back and forth, and respectfully. So that’s why I went to pay my respects and also I thought it was important for our bipartisan delegation to hear from him,” Pelosi told Rudaw's Diyar Kurda on Friday, referring to her meeting with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani at the Munich Security Conference in February.

President Barzani met with several US officials on the sidelines of the conference, including a surprise visit from Pelosi.
 
The US and Kurdistan Region enjoy good ties in a variety of areas. The Region’s Peshmerga are a key ally of the US-led global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) and Washington provides military and financial support to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). 

Washington’s security relationship with Iraq is going through a change with Baghdad pushing for the withdrawal of American forces from the country and winding down the coalition’s mission.

On the cultural front, renovation of the Badinan Gate archaeological site in Duhok province was officially completed on Tuesday with funding from the US.

US Consul General to Erbil Mark Stroh attended the official opening of the gate in Amedi. He announced that Washington had provided $750,000 in funding "to help bring this cultural treasure back to its former glory."

“I am so pleased to see first hand here today the results of the collaboration between Columbia University and our local partners,” he told reporters.