SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Co-leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Bafel Talabani met with a high-level delegation from the global coalition forces against Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Sulaimani city on Tuesday.
Talabani and the Coalition delegation which included Col. Charlie Sykes, Dave Williams and Yan Ten Hov discussed the security situation in Iraq and the disputed territories, where ISIS militants recently increased attacks against the Kurdish and Iraqi forces.
The officials also exchanged views about the unification of Peshmerga forces and the formation of a disciplined and trained national military force, Talabani’s office said in a statement.
Talabani explained the PUK’s stance on how to unite the Peshmerga forces and to reorganize them within the framework of a national patriotic project, the statement read.
He also stressed the “continuation of efforts in the direction which the basis of balance and equality in unifying the Peshmerga forces is taken into account,” according to the statement.
“An organized national force should be formed, that reflects all the needs of today’s public interests in the Region, and far from party’s interference,” Talabani said, expressing the PUK’s support for the success of the national project.
The PUK co-leader also called for the continuity of the U.S.-led Coalition’s support and assistance for the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi military in the fight against terror, the statement said.
