Mike Pompeo congratulates new Kurdistan PM Masrour Barzani
A longer readout of their phone conversation, released by Barzani’s office, explained that Barzani had discussed the issues of “security, territory, budget, and oil and gas” with Abdul Mahdi and ‘there had been a clear willingness in Baghdad to address these issues in a positive way based on both parties’ rights and duties as set in the Constitution.”
“The Secretary of State welcomed this initiative and said he would remain engaged on it with Erbil and Baghdad,” the statement continued.
Similarly, a State Department readout of the conversation, issued by State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus, stressed Pompeo’s “continued appreciation for progress in resolving outstanding Baghdad-Erbil issues, according to the Iraqi constitution’s framework for dialogue.”
The Islamic State, or ISIS, has been re-emerging for some time, particularly in the areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad, as Kurdistan 24 has regularly reported.
Read More: Kurdistan PM-designate talks security developments with Coalition Commander
On Monday, The Washington Post reported that Islamic State fighters, “mostly Iraqis,” were “slipping back into Iraq” from Syria, as it warned, “their fight isn’t over.”
Thus, the statement from Barzani’s office noted that he and Pompeo “recognized that ISIS remains a regionalthreat” and “discussed the importance of continued US security and economic assistance to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, consistent with the US-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement.”
They “also discussed US support for the KRG’s reform program,” as well as for IDPS (Internally Displaced Persons) in the Kurdistan Region.
The vast majority of IDPs and refugees in Iraq live in the Kurdistan Region.
Read More: KRG: Nearly 1.5 million refugees, IDPs remain in the Kurdistan Region
Earlier this month, after the Kurdistan Parliament approved Barzani’s cabinet, the State Department Spokesperson welcomed the new Kurdish government.