The US official made the remarks in a meeting with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in Bahrain on Saturday, November 20.

During the meeting, Barzani stressed the importance of resolving issues between Erbil and Baghdad to jointly maintain security in the disputed areas in Iraq, according to a statement released by the KRG.

It said that Austin reiterated his country’s ongoing support for the Peshmerga forces in their fight against the Islamic State.

He said that the Kurdistan Region is "an important ally”, it added.

According to Anadolu news agency the two also underlined the importance of implementing the Shingal Agreement signed with Baghdad.

The statement noted that Barzani and Austin stressed the importance of "implementing the Sinjar (Shingal) Agreement, and resolving outstanding issues between Baghdad and Erbil."

On October 9, 2020, Baghdad announced a "historic deal" with the KRG to bolster the federal government's authority in Shingal under the constitution in terms of governance and security.

The agreement also stipulates ending the presence of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) organization in Shingal and canceling any role for entities associated with it in the region.

Some 450,000 Ezidis escaped Shingal after ISIS took control of the region.

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