Shafaq News/ On Thursday, the head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), leader Masoud Barzani, met with the new US Consul General in Erbil, Steve Bitner. Mark Stroh, the former US Consul General in Erbil, also attended the meeting.

According to Barzani’s headquarters, the KDP leader “welcomed the new Consul General and hoped for success and effective collaboration.” He also praised the role of the outgoing Consul General in strengthening relations and coordination between the Kurdistan Region and the United States.

Leader Barzani “extended his gratitude to the United States – both its people and government – for their support to the Kurdish people at various stages, notably during the establishment of a safe haven in Kurdistan after the Kurdish uprising in 1991, the removal of the previous Iraqi regime in 2003, and support in the fight against terrorism.”

The discussion also covered the upcoming elections in the Kurdistan Region, scheduled for October 2024, relations between the Kurdistan Region and the federal Iraqi government, and the political situation in Iraq and the region.