Iraq News Now

Pompeo, thus, joins other world leaders in welcoming Barzani’s election, including British Prime Minister Theresa May, Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, as well as officials from Belgium, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, France, India, Germany, Japan, South Korea, the UN and the European Union, along with another senior US figure, National Security Council Adviser, Amb. John Bolton.

Barzani will be sworn in as President of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on June 10, in a ceremony in Erbil’s Saad Abdullah Conference Hall to accommodate the large number of local and foreign officials expected to attend the event.

READ MORE: Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani to take oath of office on June 10: Parliament

In a parliamentary session two days later, he is scheduled to call upon the current Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council, Masrour Barzani, as Prime Minister, who will be given 30 days to form the new KRG cabinet.

Pompeo is currently on a visit to Europe. His first stop was Berlin, and on Friday, in a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, the two senior diplomats announced Germany’s support for a US-sponsored safe zone in Syria, along with Germany’s readiness to participate in maintaining the zone.

READ MORE: Germany backs US plans for safe zone in Syria

Last October, Pompeo hailed the Kurds of Syria as “great partners,” affirming that they would be included in the political negotiations on Syria’s future.

READ MORE: Mike Pompeo: Syrian Kurds are 'great partners’; We’ll ensure them a 'seat at the table'

But US President Donald Trump’s surprise decision in December to withdraw all US troops from Syria, later modified to a decision to withdraw most US troops, with some 400 to remain there, along with a continuing stalemate over the UN-sponsored negotiations on Syria, have created significant uncertainties for  Kurds in that country.