ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani called on the Iraqi government to reconsider its opposition to Erbil’s new oil and gas contracts signed with American firms this week. “Regarding the opinions and statements we hear from Baghdad, I hope that they think about the interest of the Iraqi people. The more they show softness, the more they will see that the efforts we make are to the benefit of all Iraq,” Barzani told Rudaw in Washington where he met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Tuesday signed two major energy contracts with US-based HKN Energy and WesternZagros, valued at a combined $110 billion in their lifetimes. Baghdad has rejected these deals as illegal. The Iraqi oil ministry, in a statement on Friday, said that all partnerships must go through the federal government. Barzani said his meeting with Rubio went very well and that he has invited the secretary to visit the Kurdistan Region. “The opening of the consulate and an increase in the presence of American officials in the Kurdistan Region will create a positive outcome,” Barzani said. Washington established its diplomatic office in Erbil in February 2007 and upgraded it to a consulate general in 2011. The new consulate complex is expected to be opened soon. Ahead of the meeting, State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the two would “discuss expanding trade and investment between the United States and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.” On the oil and gas contracts, she said that Rubio has “urged the Government of Iraq to respect this economic lifeline that is necessary to prosper and succeed.” Barzani, who arrived in Washington on Saturday, has held meetings with several American congressmen. On Thursday, he met with Energy Secretary Chris Wright and said that President Donald Trump’s administration is ready to support the new oil and gas contracts. Wright said that Erbil’s plans to develop its gas production align with Trump’s agenda.
World03-06-2026Germany-based migrants in 2025 sent nearly $1.7B to regional countries, namely Turkey, Syria: Federal bank
