"During my meeting with Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, we agreed that strong Kurdistan Regional Government-Unites ties are crucial in protecting security in Kurdistan, Iraq and across the region," tweeted Barzani after the meeting.

"I had a great meeting with Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Marsour Barzani, during which I reaffirmed the US commitment to our defense relationship and recognized the KRG as a reliable, capable partner in our effort to ensure the lasting defeat of ISIS," said, for his part, Esper in a statement on Twitter. (ILKHA)