ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani received a letter from US President Donald Trump, who thanked Barzani for supporting his peace initiatives, and reiterated his administration’s commitment to “reducing tensions” in the Middle East.

A statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency said that in the letter, received on Tuesday, The American leader thanks Barzani “for supporting his peace initiatives and emphasizes the importance of resolving conflicts in the Middle East.”

“President Trump reiterates that nations around the world can move beyond old disputes and work toward a shared future of peace, prosperity, and development,” the statement added.

The letter further stressed the Trump administration’s “commitment to fostering lasting peace, reducing tensions in the Middle East, and ending violence and warfare both in the region and globally.”

In late September, Barzani welcomed a peace plan proposed by Trump to bring an end to the conflict in Gaza, commending the American president’s “leadership” for the initiative.

The Kurdistan Region shares strong ties with the US. Washington has for years provided military aid and training to the Region’s Peshmerga forces.

During a visit by Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani to Washington in May, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described Erbil's autonomy and economic freedom as the “linchpin” to the United States’ approach toward Iraq.