WASHINGTON - United States Congressman Darin LaHood said on Friday that his country will continue to support the Kurds.
LaHood told Rudaw that he had visited Erbil and Sulaimani and that Washington has strong ties with the Kurdistan Region.
"[We] want to continue to build on the relationship between the United States and recognize their goal for sovereignty and independence and what they stand for, but you couldn't ask for a stronger partner for the United States than the Kurds," said the Republican lawmaker.
Washington and Erbil enjoy close ties though the US government has never supported Kurdish independence and it strongly opposed the 2017 independence referendum.
The US has been a key supporter of the Kurdistan Region since it gained autonomy in the 1990s, backing the development of the Peshmerga forces, leading the global coalition against Islamic State (ISIS), and supporting ongoing reform efforts. The US is also preparing to open a new consulate general in Erbil, set to be the largest in the world.
A US trade delegation recently visited the Kurdistan Region, seeking stronger trade relations.
It was “the largest delegation to date” to have visited the Kurdistan Region and had the endorsement of the US Department of Commerce, Steve Lutes, director of the US Chamber of Commerce’s Middle East Affairs division, told Rudaw.
