Bafel Jalal Talabani, President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), hosted a senior British delegation on Tuesday at the Political Bureau headquarters in Erbil, reaffirming the importance of ongoing security cooperation and political dialogue between the Kurdistan Region and the United Kingdom.

The British delegation was led by Vice Admiral Edward Ahlgren, the UK Defence Senior Adviser to the Middle East and North Africa (DSAME). They were joined by key figures including Darbaz Kosrat Rasul, Head of the PUK Relations Bureau, Lieutenant Colonel Bakhtiar Mohammed, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Peshmerga, and Andrew Bizley, British Consul General in the Kurdistan Region.

According to officials present, the talks focused on recent security developments in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, as well as coordination between the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi Army with support from international partners. Both parties expressed a shared intent to deepen strategic cooperation.

President Bafel thanked the UK and the broader Global Coalition for their ongoing support in the fight against ISIS. "Terrorism continues to pose a serious threat—not just to Iraq, but to the region as a whole," he said. "We must develop a more adaptive strategy to confront the evolving nature of these threats."

He also raised concerns about drone attacks and the targeting of critical infrastructure in the Kurdistan Region. Calling such incidents a "direct threat to peace and stability," Talabani urged stronger preventive measures and international cooperation.

The discussion also extended to neighboring Syria, where President Bafel emphasized the importance of ensuring stability and safeguarding the rights of all ethnic and religious communities. "Syria’s future must include protections for all its people, especially the Kurdish population," he stated.

The meeting concluded with mutual affirmations of the UK-Kurdistan relationship, with both sides agreeing to maintain close dialogue on regional security and diplomatic issues.