US Department of State: Kurdish delegation visit to Baghdad “Encouraging”

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The US Department of State praised the visit of the Kurdish delegation to Baghdad, assuring it was encouraging.

The statement added “Acting Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Beth Jones met with a senior delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq at the State Department today to discuss U.S.-Iraq relations, especially the longstanding ties we share with the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and its people.”

“Jones welcomed the Kurdish delegation and expressed the strong U.S. commitment to supporting the development of a sound, vibrant, and inclusive Iraq and she underscored our commitment to the Strategic Framework Agreement, the basis for the United States’ partnership with a federal, democratic, as well as a unified Iraq.

“She reiterated U.S. support for an Iraqi Kurdistan Region within the framework of Iraq’s constitution. Building on the Secretary’s recent trip to Iraq, the two sides discussed the importance of direct and continuous engagement by all of Iraq’s political parties to address outstanding issues, including appropriate division of authority between the central and regional government, equitable distribution of resources, and resolving internal boundary disputes pursuant to Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution,” the statement continued.

“To that end, she noted she was encouraged that a Kurdish Alliance delegation arrived in Baghdad this week to discuss the importance of peaceful dialogue and partnership in resolving political disputes,” the statement concluded.