PUK President, UK Defence Adviser Discuss ISIS Threat, Drone Attacks and Syria

PUK President’s media office

PUK President’s meeting with a senior military delegation from UK.

Bafel Jalal Talabani, President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), welcomed a senior British delegation led by Vice Admiral Edward Ahlgren, the UK Defence Senior Adviser to the Middle East and North Africa (DSAME), at the Political Bureau headquarters in Erbil.

The meeting was also attended by Darbaz Kosrat Rasul, Head of the PUK Relations Bureau, Lieutenant Colonel Bakhtiar Mohammed, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Peshmerga, and Andrew Bizley, British Consul General in the Kurdistan Region. Discussions centred on the recent security developments in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, as well as continued coordination between the Peshmerga and Iraqi Army in partnership with allied forces. Both sides reiterated their commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations.

President Bafel expressed his gratitude for the role of the Global Coalition, particularly the United Kingdom, in supporting the Peshmerga and in the ongoing fight against ISIS. He emphasised that terrorism remains a persistent threat in Iraq and the broader region, and stressed the need for a renewed strategy to effectively address emerging security challenges.

On the issue of drone attacks and the targeting of the Kurdistan Region’s economic infrastructure, President Bafel warned of the serious threat they pose and insisted such actions must be prevented to preserve peace and stability in the country.

The meeting also included a discussion on the situation in Syria, where President Bafel underscored the importance of national stability and the protection of the rights of all communities, particularly the Kurds.



PUKMEDIA