KRG joins Global Coalition conference in Washington

Washington, DC, USA (us.gov.krd) – The KRG Representative to the United States joined Foreign and Defense ministers from 42 countries from the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) on Thursday as part of the delegation from Iraq.

Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman attended the meeting hosted by US Secretary of State John Kerry, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and Special Presidential Envoy Brett McGurk, which was held to discuss priorities for the Coalition’s multiple lines of effort to degrade, defeat and destroy ISIL, including political-military coordination, combatting foreign terrorist fighters, counterterrorist financing, counter-messaging, and stabilization of liberated areas.

The Iraqi delegation was led by Foreign Minister Ibrahim Al-Jaaferi and Defense Minister Khalid Al-Obeidi. Also in attendance were Secretary General of INTERPOL Jurgen Stock, UN Special Representative and Head of UN Mission in Iraq Jan Kubis, and Deputy Assistant Secretary General of NATO James Appathurai.

Representative Abdul Rahman said, “Strong Coalition support has been a pillar of the war against ISIL. While Peshmerga and Iraqi security forces on the ground have taken thousands of square miles back from these terrorists, the Coalition provides intelligence, air support, training and equipment for the fight.”

The meeting follows the Pledging Conference in Support of Iraq on Wednesday, which raised over $2 billion for the security and humanitarian response.