US, Kurdish officials discuss disputed areas between Irbil, Baghdad

IRBIL, Nov 17 (KUNA) -- US and Kurdish officials discussed Saturday restoration of normalcy in disputed areas between Baghdad and Irbil, a statement by Iraq's Kurdistan Security Council said.
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iran and Iraq Andrew Peek met with Kurdistan province's national security advisor Masrur Barzani and discussed conditions in disputed areas, seen by Kurds as located outside the region's administrative borders, said the statement.
Barzani and Peek, who welcomed resumption of oil exports from Kirkuk, called for reopening of all roads to the disputed areas and clearing them of mines.
The Iraqi government and Kurdistan province have been at odds for 14 years over the disputed areas, located in Nineveh, Irbil, Salahuddin, Diyala and Kirkuk -- inhabited by around 2.1 million Kurds.
Kurdish Peshmerga forces withdrew from Kirkuk and the disputed areas, leaving them to be manned by the Iraqi troops who intervened following September 2017 independence referendum. (end) sbr.bs