WASHINGTON, D.C. — The US State Department congratulated incumbent Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani on Tuesday, following the Kurdistan Region’s parliament electing him to the post of presidency.
“We’ve worked with him on many important issues, including regional security, economic reform, and repairing relations between the KRG and the government of Iraq,” State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus responded to a question from Rudaw’s Namo Abdulla at a press briefing.
She explained that the United States enjoyed “a close relationship” with Barzani when he served as the KRG premier.
"We are confident that he will remain a close partner on these priorities moving forward and we congratulate him”, the spokesperson added.
The US has led the Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State (ISIS) and provided support in weapons and training to Iraqi and Peshmerga forces through Baghdad.
The United States continues to support the Peshmerga through training and professionalization efforts, in addition to backing Kurdish and Iraqi forces against ISIS remnants in the disputed areas.
Barzani as president will be the commander-in-chief of the Kurdistan Region’s security forces following his inauguration. The prime ministership was delegated control of the security forces after Nechirvan’s predecessor and uncle Masoud Barzani chose to step down as president in November 2017.
The election of Nechirvan Barzani comes on the heels of heightened US-Iranian tensions which could have deep repercussions for Iraq. Erbil has said that it would follow Baghdad’s lead on how to proceed with US sanctions targeting Iran.
Earlier this month, the State Department ordered all non-emergency personnel to leave its embassy in Baghdad and consulate in Erbil amid an unspecified threat.
Washington funds two brigades of Peshmerga directly. The Congress is reviewing a $750 billion defense budget for Fiscal Year 2020. It includes $126 for Peshmerga salaries and $95 million for Peshmerga reforms.
The total request includes $745 million for Iraq and $300 million for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), border guards, and the US base at its At Tanf garrison on the Iraq-Jordan border.
On the humanitarian front through its USAID program, Washington aims to assist Iraq and the Kurdistan Region’s religious minorities. Sam Brownback, US Ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom told Rudaw last week that now ISIS has been defeated more has to be done so that groups like the Yezidis can return.
Since the beginning of the conflict against ISIS in 2014, the KRG has hosted 1.8 million IDPs and over 200,000 refugees from Syria. Around 98 percent of Syrians that fled to Iraq, have sought refuge in the Kurdistan Region.
Following the fallout in domestic and international relations between Erbil and others after the independence referendum and events of October 16, 2017, Barzani as KRG prime minister worked — largely successfully — to re-establish them at home, regionally, and abroad.
Barzani was elected on Tuesday to fill the vacant post of president by the Kurdistan Region parliament on Tuesday. He secured 68 votes with four opponents receiving none.
The president-elect is deputy of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) the largest party in the Kurdistan Region. The second largest is the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with 21 seats in the parliamentary body. It boycotted the session on Tuesday, claiming the KDP has acted unilaterally in regards to resetting the presidency law.
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