Bafel Jalal Talabani, President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), met with U.S. Chargé d'Affaires Joshua Harris to discuss government formation and regional stability, while also offering congratulations on America's Independence Day. 

Talabani met Harris at the late Jalal Talabani's residence in Baghdad on Saturday. During the meeting, he “congratulated Joshua Harris and the American people on the occasion of America's Independence Day on the Fourth of July.”

In a statement, the PUK President's Press Office noted that both sides addressed political developments in Iraq and the region, as well as the formation of the new cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government. 

Regarding regional issues and ongoing U.S.-Iran talks, Talabani emphasized the importance of joint diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions and establish peace and stability in the region.

Talabani Calls for New Model of Governance 

The meeting comes amid domestic issues in the Kurdistan Region surrounding a political impasse over government formation and parliamentary reactivation, alongside months of regional tensions between the United States and Iran, throughout the course of which Talabani advocated for dialogue and a neutral status for the Kurdistan Region. 

The PUK President's latest remarks on government formation were made during the signing ceremony of an alliance agreement with the New Generation Movement last week, in which he called for a new model of governance, warning that corruption, intimidation, and a disregard for the public would lead to collapse of the government, while urging citizens to expect a fundamental shift toward corrective policies moving forward.

He stated that the PUK has utilized its influence and diplomatic relations to defend the Kurdistan Region, adding that the party has taken on significant responsibilities to support the public.

Furthermore, during a mid-June meeting with Tom Barrack, the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Iraq and Syria, Talabani expressed his concern over the failure of the process, stating that "the legitimacy and credibility of the current government are beginning to be called into question."