ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani continued his high-profile sit-downs in Washington DC on Wednesday, holding a series of meetings with US lawmakers where they emphasized the need for safeguarding the Region’s constitutional rights as a federal region within Iraq.

Barzani arrived in Washington on Saturday for an official visit. Strengthening bilateral ties with the new US administration, energy cooperation, and future investment are among the top priorities of Prime Minister Barzani’s agenda.

The Kurdish premier kicked off his meetings on Wednesday with a sit-down with Senator Bill Hagerty from Tennessee. The two discussed recent developments in Iraq and the wider region, according to a statement from Barzani’s office.

“Senator Hagerty welcomed the signing of two major energy deals between the KRG and US companies in the energy sector. He reaffirmed his country's support for the Kurdistan Region's success and expressed satisfaction that the Region is strengthening its commercial ties with American companies,” read the statement.

“They also highlighted the need to respect the constitutional rights and federal status of the Kurdistan Region within Iraq,” it added.

The Iraqi oil ministry on Tuesday said they reject the agreements inked a day earlier between Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) natural resources ministry and HKN Energy and WesternZagros to develop oil and gas fields in Sulaimani, saying the procedures violate a 2022 Iraqi federal court ruling prohibiting Iraqi regions and provinces from regulating trade policy with other countries.

The KRG’s natural resources ministry responded to Baghdad’s comments, stating that the agreements are constitutionally valid and have been previously approved by Iraqi courts.

The deals have a combined value of around $110 billion, and aim to boost the Kurdistan Region’s energy sector.

US officials have collectively stressed that the deals benefit the whole of Iraq, not just the Kurdistan Region, during Prime Minister Barzani’s meetings in Washington.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday stated that Kurdish autonomy, including economic freedom, is the “linchpin” of Washington’s approach toward Iraq, in reference to the recently-signed deals between the KRG and American energy firms.

Barzani also met with Senator Ted Budd from North Carolina, with the two expressing desire to further develop bilateral relations, and reiterating the need for continued support for the Kurdish Peshmerga.

“They discussed a range of topics, including the importance of resolving outstanding issues between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government of Iraq within the framework of the Iraqi Constitution and the Region’s federal status,” read a statement from Barzani’s office.

Other topics discussed during the meeting included the KRG's ongoing reform agenda, “from economic diversification and energy development to electricity, banking reform, and the digitalization of public services,” as well as the efforts to form the next KRG cabinet.

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union (PUK) have held dozens of meetings since October’s parliamentary elections aimed at forming the next KRG cabinet. The two ruling parties have described the negotiations as positive and are expected to complete the process soon.

Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin was also on Barzani’s Wednensday agenda. The two discussed the KRG’s ongoing reforms, mainly in the Ministry of Peshmerga, stressing the importance of  continued support for the Kurdish forces.

One of the key objectives of the KRG’s ninth cabinet has been to unify Peshmerga forces, with a number of brigades controlled by the two parties already incorporated into the ministry. 

“They also discussed the need to uphold the constitutional status of the Kurdistan Region, ensure the fair distribution of financial entitlements to the Kurdish people, and safeguard peaceful coexistence and religious freedom for all components in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq,” read a statement from Barzani’s office regarding the meeting with Slotkin.

Similar issues were raised during the Kurdish premier’s meeting with Congressman Darrell Issa, including the importance of strengthening bilateral ties, and the need to uphold Iraq’s federal system and ensureing fair treatment for the Kurdistan Region and its people.

Prime Minister Barzani also met with Congressman Mike Rogers, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, later in the day. The two discussed continued US support for the Peshmerga forces, regional developments, and the need for the swift formation of the next KRG cabinet.

Speaking to The New Region, Congressman Brian Mast, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said he had a “fantastic” meeting with Barzani on Tuesday, adding that they share “the desire for Kurdistan to be successful, to be autonomous, to be able to stand by itself in that region.”

Congressman Joe Wilson, who met with Barzani on Tuesday, stressed the importance of maintaining the trade agreement signed between KRG and American companies, telling The New Region that the deals benefit both the people of Kurdistan and the American people.

The Kurdistan Region shares strong ties with the US. Washington has for years provided military aid and training to the Region’s Peshmerga forces. Prime Minister Barzani also shares a strong relationship with the current US cabinet in general.