Shafaq News/ The Minister of Peshmerga Affairs, Shoresh Ismail, stressed on Monday the importance of US aid and coordination in enhancing security and protecting the interests of the Kurdistan Region.
In a statement, the Ministry said that Ismail received today in Erbil the US Ambassador to Iraq Matthew Tueller and his delegation, in the presence of the Undersecretary of the Ministry, Serbest Lazkin, the Secretary-General of the Ministry, Lieutenant-General Jabbar Yawar, advisers, and senior officers.
The two sides discussed the latest developments in the Region and mechanisms to confront ISIS.
He explained that the Minister of Peshmerga considered that the continuation of coordination and cooperation with the US army with the Peshmerga is a continuation of the friendship between the Kurdish and American people.
Ismail added, "At the beginning of the war against ISIS terrorists, the US army, along with the Peshmerga forces and the Global Coalition, played a major and influential role in defeating and pursuing terrorists in the entire region."
He pointed out that "Kurdistan looks with interest at US aid and coordination, and that friendship with the US side helps in the protection of interests, security, and safety of the Region."
"The Peshmerga forces, despite the economic conditions in Kurdistan, the global pandemic and the difficult financial situation, are always and fully prepared to protect the land, peace, and security of Kurdistan."
It added, "Yesterday, the Peshmerga forces fought alongside friends in the Coalition countries against the terrorists, and today ISIS is resuming its activities, movements and terrorist acts, and this requires expanding the volume of cooperation and assistance to the Peshmerga forces further to remove these terrorists who still pose a serious threat."
The statement added that the Minister of Peshmerga and the US ambassador to Iraq had fruitful discussions on the reform process's problems. The US ambassador reiterated that his country would continue working to remove obstacles facing the reform process in the Peshmerga Ministry.
Concerning the relations between the Ministry of Peshmerga and the Federal Ministry of Defense, the Minister confirmed that "there is now greater trust between and his ministry had many initiatives to reach a final agreement to establish stability in all areas that suffer from a security vacuum."
The statement indicated that during the meeting, the US ambassador expressed his sympathy and condolences to the families of the Peshmerga victims, saying that "in the course of the confrontation with the terrorists, the Peshmerga forces offered many victims, and the United States appreciates the victims."
The statement said that the US ambassador to Iraq declared, "It is a matter of honor that his country continues to support and assist the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army in confronting bad ideologies and terrorists."
He expressed his thanks to the Minister of Peshmerga for reforms and that his country's assistance in the implementation and success of the reform will be continuous because "whenever the Peshmerga forces are strong, the safety and security in the region will be preserved."
