U.S. Senator Ted Budd from North Carolina held a meeting with Prime Minister Masrour Barzani of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government in Washington, D.C. The discussions focused on recent energy agreements involving the Kurdistan Regional Government and U.S. energy companies, as well as exploring avenues to enhance security cooperation between the United States and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.
After their meeting, Senator Budd issued a statement expressing his appreciation for Prime Minister Barzani’s hospitality during a previous visit to Erbil. “I’d like to thank Prime Minister Masrour Barzani for his hospitality when I met with him in Erbil last year,” said Senator Budd. He also expressed satisfaction at hosting the Prime Minister in his office to discuss U.S. commercial investments in the region and ongoing security collaborations.
Senator Budd highlighted that gas field development deals announced recently are expected to strengthen ties between American and Kurdish people while contributing to Iraq’s energy independence. “The gas field development deals announced this week will strengthen shared bonds between the American and Kurdish people, but also result in much needed energy independence for Iraq,” he stated.
The meeting also included updates on security cooperation between the U.S. Department of Defense and Kurdish Peshmerga forces. However, Senator Budd voiced concerns about reported delays in delivering U.S.-provided defense equipment to these forces. “Following our discussion, I am increasingly concerned by reported delays in the delivery of U.S. provided defense equipment to the Peshmerga,” said Senator Budd.
