SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Bafel Jalal Talabani and Qubad Talabani, deputy prime minister of the Kurdistan Region, met with Brett McGurk, White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, in Erbil on Monday.
McGurk arrived in the Kurdistan Region on Monday, following his unannounced visit to Baghdad on Sunday.
The U.S. official accompanied by Ambassador to Iraq Matthew Tueller held talks with Talabani and the Kurdish deputy prime minister in Erbil.
They discussed the latest political, security and economic developments and the situation after the parliamentary election in Iraq during the meeting, Talabani’s office said in a statement.
Talabani reiterated the development of relations with the United States, including the continuity of advising and assisting Peshmerga forces in the fight against terrorism, the statement read.
The two sides also discussed the phase after Iraq’s elections and the new government, according to the statement.
They stressed the beginning of steps to form a “serviceable and active government that will be at the level of the sensitivity of the situation and demands of all components in Iraq, and to preserve political balance”, the statement said.
Earlier, McGurk met with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani to discuss the latest developments in Iraq and the Region.
In Baghdad, McGurk met with Iraqi President Barham Salih, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and National Security Advisor Qasem al-Araji.
In a statement, Iraq’s presidency said Salih and McGurk stressed the need to ease tensions and support dialogue in the region.
They also discussed the end to combat role of the U.S.-led Coalition forces, the statement read.
The coalition forces announced on Thursday the end of their combat mission in Iraq ahead of the end of the year.
Iraq’s National security advisor said the Coalition’s combat troops were to withdraw.
In July, U.S. President Joe Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi sealed an agreement to formally end the combat mission in Iraq by the end of 2021.
The United States has kept around 2,500 troops in Iraq since 2020.
U.S. commander for the Middle East Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie said in an interview with AP on Thursday that the United States would keep the current 2,500 troops in Iraq for the foreseeable future and that it would still provide air support and other military aid for Iraq’s fight against Islamic State (ISIS).
In his meeting with Araji, McGurk reiterated the U.S. support to strengthen Iraqi capabilities in the face of terrorism, Araji’s office said in a statement.
McGurk said the United States “does not pose any threat to any country”, stressing that the common enemy is ISIS militants, the statement read.
He also said the U.S. would not use “Iraq’s sky, land and water as a launching pad to attack neighboring countries,” the statement cited him as saying.
