The President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Bafel Talabani, received Tom Barrack, the U.S. envoy for Syria, in Sulaymaniyah. The meeting discussed the political situation in Iraq and the region, with a focus on forming both the Iraqi and Kurdish governments. Both sides emphasized the importance of overcoming obstacles to establish strong and prosperous governments.

During the meeting—which was attended by Qubad Talabani, a member of the PUK Political Bureau, and Joshua Harris, the chargé d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Iraq—the political situation in Iraq and the region was reviewed, according to the statement.

The discussion also touched on the formation of the new Iraqi government. Both parties stressed the need to expedite the process and remove the obstacles hindering it, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that Iraq remains a prosperous, sovereign, and independent country.

Bafel Talabani told Barrack, "We continue to play our important role in Iraq to ensure that the country’s future guarantees the best services for all Iraqis.”

Talabani and Barrack agreed on the necessity of “completing the procedures for forming the new cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government,” affirming that the current circumstances require unity in Kurdish discourse and position within both the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.