SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iraqi and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) officials congratulated Joe Biden on winning the U.S. presidential election on Saturday.
Biden captured the U.S. presidency on Saturday, as voters narrowly rebuffed Trump’s tumultuous leadership and embraced Biden’s promise to fight the coronavirus pandemic and fix the economy in a divided nation.
Iraqi President Barham Salih extended his congratulation to Biden, who he called a “friend and trusted partner in the cause of building a better Iraq”.
“We look forward to working to achieve our common goals and strengthening peace and stability in the entire Middle East,” Salih tweeted.
KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani congratulated Biden and Kamala Harris, who will become the first female vice president, on wining the presidential election, saying he looked forward to continuing the close and strong cooperation between the Region and the U.S.
“Our partnership is crucial to regional stability and prosperity,” Barzani said in a tweet.
Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani also congratulated Biden on his electoral victory, saying the Region looks forward to build its partnership with the United States.
“A big congratulations to a good man, a seasoned politician, and an old friend @JoeBiden; the next #POTUS,” Talabani said in a tweet.
“We look forward to working with his administration to build on our already strong partnership with the US government, the US military and the American people,” he added.
Co-leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Lahur Sheikh Jangi also congratulated Biden on his electoral victory.
“I … hope that we can continue to pursue our efforts in overcoming persistent challenges in the Middle East as we strive for peace, stability and security,” Jangi tweeted.
Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani also expressed his “heartfelt” congratulations to Biden, calling him “his friend”.
“I sincerely hope and pray that the free world under your leadership will witness more peace and prosperity,” the KDP leader said in a tweet.
Biden had a 273 to 214 lead in the state-by-state Electoral College vote that determines the winner, having won Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes to put him over the 270 he needed to secure the presidency, according to Edison Research.
His projected victory came after four days of nail-biting suspense over the outcome of Tuesday’s election, with the counting of votes in a handful of battleground states ongoing thanks to a flood of mail-in ballots.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday his campaign would begin challenging U.S. election results in court next week after media outlets called the race for Democrat Joe Biden, saying “this election is far from over.”
“We all know why Joe Biden is rushing to falsely pose as the winner, and why his media allies are trying so hard to help him: they don’t want the truth to be exposed,” he said in a statement. “The simple fact is this election is far from over.”
