Erbil: Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani welcomed on Sunday visiting US Senator Joni Ernst, member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and her accompanying delegation. Kurdistan Presidency said in a statement that the meeting focused on US support for Iraq's peace, stability and security in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, the ongoing threat of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, as well as recent developments in the Middle East and their impact on the wider region.
According to Kuwait News Agency, both sides underlined the importance of joint US, Iraq, and the Kurdistan Region efforts to preserve peace and stability and to counter the activities and threats of ISIS, which remains a serious threat to security in both Iraq and Syria, the statement added.
Additionally, Barzani expressed his gratitude to the United States for its continued support to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in the fight against terrorism. For her part, Senator Ernst reaffirmed the United States' commitment to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, stressing the importance of peace, stability, and the unity of political forces and parties within the Kurdistan Region.
The meeting followed the US-led International Coalition forces withdrawing from central and western Iraq, a process expected to be completed by mid-September under an agreement between Baghdad and Washington.