Kurds discuss Iraqi crises with US envoy

The foreign minister from the semiautonomous Kurdish government of Iraq said support was needed to ensure the country stays on the right path. Kurdish Foreign Minister Falah Mustafa met with U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Robert Beecroft to discuss differences between the Kurdish and central government in Baghdad. Skirmishes late last year between Kurdish and Iraqi forces sparked concerns over the country's stability. A bombing in January in Kirkuk was said to have targeted the local office of Masoud Barzani, president of Iraq's semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region. Mustafa said the government welcomed the visit from Beecroft, saying it was a sign of Washington's commitments to the country. "We welcome the support from the U.S. for finding a lasting solution to the current political crisis," Mustafa said in a statement. "It is important that our allies continue to engage with Iraq, and encourage Iraq to stay on the path of democracy, federalism and adherence to the constitution."