ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani received a letter from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in which the latter praised the Kurdish leader's role in the resumption of the Region's oil exports and peace efforts in Turkey and Syria, the Kurdistan Region Presidency announced Sunday. 

According to a statement from the Presidency, Rubio commended Barzani's role in the resumption of Erbil's oil exports via the Iraq-Turkey pipeline. Oil exports from the Kurdistan Region resumed in September, ending a 30-month halt that cost Iraq an estimated $30 billion in lost revenue.

The halt in Kurdish oil exports came after Ankara lost a case against Baghdad in a Paris-based arbitration court, in which Iraq accused Turkey of breaching a 1973 agreement by allowing Erbil to start selling oil independently of Baghdad in 2014.

The restart followed a breakthrough tripartite agreement between Erbil, Baghdad, and international oil companies, under which the Kurdistan Region will now deliver all crude produced from its fields to Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) for export via Turkey’s Ceyhan port, except for quantities needed for domestic consumption.

Rubio in September welcomed the agreement, saying that it "will bring tangible benefits for both Americans and Iraqis."

The secretary of state in his Sunday letter also praised the president's role in facilitating the burgeoning peace process between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), asserting that he has proved instrumental in "facilitating the dialogue" between the two actors.

The Kurdistan Region has emerged as a key conduit in the peace process, with PKK fighters in July participating in a disarmament ceremony in the Region and announcing in October the withdrawal “all guerrilla forces in Turkey” to the Medya Defense Areas in the Region, where the group’s headquarters in the Qandil Mountains is located. 

The US top diplomat also proceeded to praise President Nechirvan Barzani for his role in efforts to maintain peace and stability in Syria, lauding his "leadership" and "responsible statesmanship," according to the statement.

The pair previously spoke on a phone call in May in which they discussed strategic relations between the two sides as well as regional security and stability.

“Both sides stressed the improvement of strategic relations of the United States and the Kurdistan Region,” in addition to continuing the cooperation and assistance between the two sides in the sectors of energy and finances. They also touched on the security and stability of Iraq, Syria, and the region as a whole, read a statement from Barzani’s office.

“I reaffirmed our shared commitment to peace, stability, and the strong partnership between the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and the United States, and conveyed our deep gratitude for America’s steadfast support over the years,” Barzani wrote in an X post.

Rubio and the Kurdistan Region president last met in February in Munich, during which the latter 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, while Rubio reaffirmed that the US will remain an ally of Erbil.

US President Donald Trump in October wrote to Barzani to thank him "for supporting his peace initiatives."