PUK President: We Believe in Genuine Partnership in Running the Country

PUKMEDIA

PUK President Bafel Jalal Talabani.

Bafel Jalal Talabani, President of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), met with US Special Representative for Global Infrastructure and Energy Security Amos Hochstein and Director of the Office of Iraqi Affairs at the State Department Steven Bitner in Washington, DC. 

The meetings, which were attended by Darbaz Kosrat Rasul, Head of the PUK's Relations Bureau, discussed the latest developments in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and the region.

President Bafel explained the general situation in the Kurdistan Region and the energy sector, saying: "The Kurdistan Region has a strong gas infrastructure and must be treated responsibly. This sector should be developed with a new and national strategy and become a means of strengthening the economic infrastructure of the Kurdistan Region, its revenue should serve the people and prosperity of our region. This is the goal we are trying to achieve and we want to move towards prosperity."

In Washington, President Bafel was hosted by the Office of Near Eastern Affairs at the State Department for a roundtable discussion, which was attended by the Offices of Counter-Terrorism, Military and Political Affairs, Democracy and Human Rights and Labor, Conflict and Stability Operations.

At the beginning of the discussion, President Bafel gave a detailed overview on political events and changes and explained the national policy of the PUK as an effective and responsible force towards the Kurdistan Region and its people. He stated: "We have been and have tried to be part of the solution and we fully believe in genuine partnership in running the country. We have agreed with our partners in Baghdad to protect the highest interests and agree to govern the country on the basis of the constitution and protect the rights of all Iraqi peoples."

During the roundtable, an open discussion was held in which President Bafel explained the elections and the unification of the Peshmerga forces to the participants and said: "Everyone knows our position on the elections and the development of democracy in the Kurdistan Region. We reject any attempt to postpone the elections and we do not want the people's will for change to be sacrificed to private interests."

Regarding the issue of the Peshmerga, President Bafel said: "The efforts to reorganize and nationalize the Peshmerga forces continue and we look forward to it. The support and assistance of the international coalition, especially the United States, is appreciated and has accelerated the process. We also emphasize the continuity of military and intelligence coordination in order to protect people's lives and stability in the region, because the threat of terrorism continues and we must all face it together."



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