Deputy Speaker Hawrami meets US Consulate's new political and economic officer Mr. Andrew Lentz

Kurdistan Parliament Deputy Speaker Hemin Hawrami on 12 December welcomed Mr. Andrew Lentz, the US Consulate General’s new Political and Economic Officer, and his colleagues. They discussed the importance of the KRG coalition’s reform agenda to strengthen Kurdistan’s position and economy.

Mr. Hawrami said that the KRG cabinet members have just approved the KRG’s Reform Bill and submitted it to the Kurdistan Parliament. The Deputy Speaker said, “The Kurdistan Parliament gave their vote of confidence to the KRG’s reform agenda when it was announced last July, and Parliament’s priority is the passage of the reform page.”

He added, “The reform agenda belongs to all the parties in the government coalition.”

Mr. Lentz said, “The US supports the KRG’s reform efforts as well as Peshmerga reform, and we will continue to do so.”

Mr. Lentz added that reform will create fiscal savings and improve the business and investment climate for Kurdistan Region.

Deputy Speaker Hawrami and the US Political and Economic Officer also discussed the instability and unrest in Iraq, and the dialogue between Baghdad and Erbil on the budget and other outstanding issues.  

Mr. Lentz was accompanied by his colleagues from the US Consulate, Mark Padgett and Vager Saadullah.