ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met with US Senator Joni Ernst, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and her accompanying delegation on Sunday to discuss key security and political developments in the region. The visit follows Senator Ernst’s recent meetings with Syria’s interim president and the Jordanian king.
According to a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency, the discussions focused on the United States’ continued support for peace and stability in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, “the ongoing threat [posed by the Islamic State] ISIS in Iraq and Syria,” and broader “developments across the Middle East and their impact on the wider region.”
Both President Barzani and Senator Ernst underlined “the importance of joint efforts between the US, Iraq and the Kurdistan Region to preserve peace and stability and to counter the activities and threats of ISIS.”
President Barzani reasserted his gratitude for the US's role in supporting Iraq and the Kurdistan Region “in the fight against terrorism.”
For her part, Senator Ernst reaffirmed her country's commitment to both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, “underscoring the significance of peace, stability, and unity among political forces within the Kurdistan Region.
The US maintains a longstanding and strategic partnership with the Kurdistan Region - a relationship rooted in the humanitarian efforts following the 1991 Gulf War, when a US-led coalition established a no-fly zone to protect the Kurdish population.
Over the years, that support evolved into a vital security alliance, particularly during the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), with the US providing critical military aid, training, and air support to Kurdish Peshmerga forces - widely regarded as one of the most effective ground partners in the campaign.
Beyond the military alliance, the US also maintains a strong diplomatic presence in Erbil. After opening a diplomatic office in 2007, Washington elevated it to a consulate general in 2011. Construction is currently underway on a new US consulate complex in Erbil, set to become the largest US consulate facility globally.
Importantly, Senator Ernst’s meeting with President Barzani came shortly after she, along with a US congressional delegation, held talks in Damascus on Tuesday with Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, and Interior Minister Anas Khattab, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
The delegation included Senator Markwayne Mullin and Congressmen Jason Smith and Jimmy Panetta.
Qutaiba Idlbi, director of American affairs at Syria's Foreign Ministry, told Rudaw in an exclusive interview on Monday that communication between members of the US Congress and the Syrian interim government is ongoing, adding that some members of Congress are in contact with Syrian authorities to “ensure that all the messages and ideas of the Syrian government are conveyed to the decision-makers in Washington.”
“There will be many visits from Congress to Syria in the coming period,” Idlbi noted, adding, “We look forward to strengthening cooperation - not only between the Syrian government and the US government but also between the Syrian people and the American people.”
A day earlier, the same delegation met with Jordan's King Abdullah II, according to Amman’s state news agency, Petra. Discussions focused on regional issues, particularly developments in Syria, where King Abdullah reiterated the importance of supporting efforts to preserve the country’s security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
