ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Monday congratulated Andy Burnham on his appointment as the new prime minister of the United Kingdom, expressing eagerness to work together toward stronger Erbil-London relations.

During an audience at Buckingham Palace on Monday, King Charles III officially appointed Burnham as the UK’s new premier, succeeding Keir Starmer who delivered his farewell address outside 10 Downing Street earlier in the day.

“Congratulations Andy Burnham on becoming Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Wishing you every success as you lead the country,” wrote Prime Minister Barzani on X.

“I look forward to working together to further strengthen the close partnership between the Kurdistan Region and the UK,” the Kurdish premier added.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani also congratulated Burnham, highlighting historic ties between the UK, Iraq, and the Kurdistan Region, and expressing excitement to work together on advancing shared values.

The United Kingdom and the Kurdistan Region have shared strong relations for decades. The UK has been a key player in the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) since 2014, providing training to Peshmerga forces in countering improvised explosive devices (IEDs), infantry tactics, and medical skills, as well as supplying military hardware.

In 1991, then-UK Prime Minister John Major played a key role in the establishment of a no-fly zone over the Kurdistan Region, which ultimately led to the development of the Region’s current autonomy. In 2021, a downtown street in the Kurdish capital of Erbil was renamed “Sir John Major St.” in honor of the former British premier.

In recent years, Erbil-London relations have evolved into combating illegal migration as well, with the UK in late 2024 pledging £200,000 to support projects in the Kurdistan Region aimed at enhancing capabilities relating to irregular migration and border security, including setting up a new taskforce.

Burnham becomes the UK’s seventh prime minister since 2016. The former mayor of Greater Manchester was elected unopposed as the new leader of the Labour Party on Friday, less than a month after his predecessor Starmer announced his intention to resign as prime minister and leader of the UK’s ruling party.

“Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again, and that is our challenge, to make politics work, to make it work better,” said Burnham in his first address on the steps of Downing Street.