ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Saturday thanked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for Washington's "continued" support for Erbil and Baghdad, emphasizing their commitment to regional stability.

The meeting came on the sideline of the Munich Security Conference, where Barzani represents the Kurdistan Region.

"The meeting discussed US relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region and the prospects for joint cooperation between them. President Nechirvan Barzani expressed his gratitude for the US support in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region," read a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency.

Rubio meanwhile, reaffirmed Washington's commitment to "supporting Iraq and the Kurdistan Region and maintaining peace and stability in the region, and praised the Kurdistan Region's position as a key partner and factor of stability."

The Kurdistan Region shares strong ties with the US. Washington has for years provided military aid and training to the Region’s Peshmerga forces. Washington opened its largest consular building across the world in Erbil in December at a cost of $800 million.

Barzani said in an X post after the meeting that he thanked Rubio for Washington's "continued" support for Erbil and Baghdad, and "underscored the depth of our strategic partnership, built on shared interests and a common commitment to regional stability."

The two also reviewed the situation in Syria,  along with the latest regional developments, stressing "the need to protect the rights of Kurds and other communities in a unified Syria."

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced an integration and ceasefire agreement with the Syrian government in late January, putting an end to a Damascus offensive against Rojava (northeast Syria) that spanned the better part of the month.

The military campaign aimed to secure Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s vision of a united, centralized Syria, despite the country’s marginalized minorities repeatedly calling for federalism.

The understanding led to a ceasefire, the entry of Syrian government forces into Kurdish-held areas in Hasaka province, as well as the appointment of the SDF-backed Nureddin Issa as Hasaka's governor.

Barzani has held several high-profile meetings on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference with regional and international leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani of Qatar, and Dutch premier Dick Schoof.