ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed increasing trade and investment between Washington and Erbil with Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani during their meeting with Friday, read a readout of the meeting attributed to spokesperson Tammy Bruce sent to The New Region via email on Saturday.

“Secretary Rubio and Prime Minister Barzani discussed opportunities to further increase trade and investment between the United States and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region,” read the readout of the meeting.

“The Secretary commended the Prime Minister for finalizing deals with US companies to expand natural gas production in the IKR [Kurdistan Region], which will help Iraq move toward energy independence,” Bruce added.

Met with Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and reaffirmed U.S. support for a strong and resilient Iraqi Kurdistan Region that is critical to the stability of Iraq and the broader region. pic.twitter.com/5wsXXvI1vk

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) May 23, 2025

Prime Minister Barzani in a statement said that during his meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, they "stressed the importance" of resuming the Kurdistan Region’s oil exports via Turkey’s Ceyhan pipeline.

The Kurdish premier arrived at the Department of State headquarters at around 12:30 PM (PST) and held a meeting with Rubio which lasted for over an hour.

“We had a very good and beneficial meeting,” Barzani told reporters after the meeting. “We discussed and exchanged views, understanding, and opinions about the programs in the wider region.”

Following their meeting, Barzani and Rubio shook hands and posed for a picture in front of reporters and photojournalists at the building.

The readout of the meeting by the State Department also said that the two also discussed “their mutual interest in protecting the rights of religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria.”

“The Secretary reaffirmed US support for a strong and resilient IKR [Kurdistan Region] as a foundational pillar of the relationship the United States enjoys with Iraq,” the State Department spokesperson said.

Since arriving in Washington on Saturday, Barzani has met with numerous high-profile US officials, including Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, and dozens of congressmen and senators.

Strengthening bilateral ties with the new US administration, energy cooperation, and future investment are among the top priorities of Prime Minister Barzani’s agenda.

“We were very happy to see a lot of support from the US for the people of Kurdistan and for the process which we believe will benefit all of Kurdistan and all the people of Iraq,” the Kurdish premier said following his meeting with Secretary Rubio.

The prime minister on Monday oversaw the signing of two agreements, one with HKN Energy and ONEX Group, and another with WesternZagros. The deals have a combined value of around $110 billion, and aim to boost the Kurdistan Region’s energy sector.

The Iraqi oil ministry has rejected the recent agreements, claiming that 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 has responded to Baghdad’s comments, stating that the agreements are constitutionally valid and have been previously approved by Iraqi courts.