ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani on Saturday met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Munich and extended an official invitation to the top US diplomat to attend the opening of the new US Consulate General compound in Erbil later in the year.

“President Barzani expressed appreciation for the unwavering support from the United States towards Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, particularly in combating terrorism and fostering security and stability. He underscored the significance of maintaining this cooperative relationship with the US,” read a statement from the presidency.

The statement added that Barzani had “extended an invitation to Secretary Rubio to attend the inauguration of the new US Consulate General building in Erbil, to which the Secretary expressed his enthusiasm to participate.”

The new US Consulate General compound in Erbil is expected to be the country’s largest consular compound in the world.

The Kurdistan Region has long been an ally of the US. Washington has for years provided military aid and training to the Region’s Peshmerga forces.

Prime Minister Barzani visited the US in February 2024 upon an official invitation from then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, conducting several high-profile meetings in Washington.

During the Saturday meeting, Rubio reaffirmed that the US will remain an ally of Erbil.

“He emphasized the necessity of ongoing security and military collaboration to confront shared challenges and promote economic growth and development,” the statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency had Rubio as saying.