KDP Kurdish leader Barzani meets with US officials

The Kurdish Democratic Party said in a press release that KDP leader Massoud Barzani began his official visit to the United States and met with US officials.

On his visit to Washington, Barzani met with US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright yesterday, Assistant Secretary of State Martin Indyk and other US officials. He is to meet National Security Advisor Sandy Berger today.

Barzani earlier met with State Department official David Welch, who met with rival Kurdish leaders in Iraq during July and Gregory Craig, head of political planning at the State Department.

Talks covered Kurdish - US and KDP - US relations as well as the situation in Iraq and the peace process between Kurdish factions in Iraq.

Barzani's visit will be followed by a separate visit to Washington by rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan leader Jalal Talibani. The US has indicated that after the two separate visits it would be willing to facilitate face-to-face meetings between the two sides if the two sides wish to meet.