KRG Prime Minister Welcomes New U.S. Consul General

On Thursday, 15 August 2024, Masrour Barzani, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), welcomed Steve Bitner, the newly appointed Consul General of the United States in the Kurdistan Region.

Prime Minister Barzani congratulated Mr. Bitner on his appointment and wished him success in his role. He thanked Mark Stroh, the departing U.S. Consul General, who was also present, for his efforts in strengthening bilateral relations between the Kurdistan Region and the United States.

Consul General Bitner expressed the United States’ desire to enhance relations with the Kurdistan Region across all sectors and underscored the Region’s role as a key partner in promoting security and stability in Iraq and the wider region.

In addition, he noted the importance of Prime Minister Barzani’s February visit to the U.S. in briefing senior officials on the challenges and developments in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and the broader region.

During the meeting, they discussed the upcoming Kurdistan parliamentary elections, reforms at the Ministry of Peshmerga, the need to solve pending issues between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad, the safeguarding of the constitutional rights of the people of the Kurdistan Region, and the implementation of the Sinjar agreement.