Interview
Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein speaking to Rudaw on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 20, 2023. Photo: Rudaw/screenshot
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told Rudaw on Friday that the strong ties of Kurdistan Region’s President Nechirvan Barzani with top officials in the federal government could play an important role in Erbil-Baghdad relations.
“The Kurdistan Region President Mr. Nechirvan Barzani shares good relations with the Iraqi Prime Minister and the political parties’ leaders in Baghdad, and the presence of this relationship is always important,” Hussein told Rudaw’s Sangar Abdulrahman on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum at Davos.
“These personal relations have a positive effect on a political level, and he [Barzani] could definitely play an important role in Baghdad,” he added.
President Barzani visited Baghdad twice in November, emphasizing the importance of cooperation in tackling external threats and strengthening border security in meetings with Iraq’s PM Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani.
Tension between Erbil and Baghdad has been high since the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court in February 2022 deemed the Kurdistan Region’s oil and gas law “unconstitutional”, hence striking the independence of the Region’s energy sector and jeopardizing its industry.
The two governments have also had issues agreeing on Erbil’s share in the 2023 Iraqi federal budget bill.
Hussein was confident that Erbil and Baghdad will resolve their differences on this matter as both sides realize the importance of the fiscal budget, adding that once the bill was finalized, work can start on drafting an Iraqi oil and gas law, which will permanently define how to handle the Kurdistan Region’s oil extracting and exporting process.
After he was tasked with forming Iraq’s next cabinet in October, Sudani said that the new federal government will be committed to work “according to the constitution” in strengthening the relationship between Erbil and Baghdad, and “settling disputes and issues that have been lingering for a long time.”
“The Kurdistan Region President Mr. Nechirvan Barzani shares good relations with the Iraqi Prime Minister and the political parties’ leaders in Baghdad, and the presence of this relationship is always important,” Hussein told Rudaw’s Sangar Abdulrahman on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum at Davos.
“These personal relations have a positive effect on a political level, and he [Barzani] could definitely play an important role in Baghdad,” he added.
President Barzani visited Baghdad twice in November, emphasizing the importance of cooperation in tackling external threats and strengthening border security in meetings with Iraq’s PM Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani.
Tension between Erbil and Baghdad has been high since the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court in February 2022 deemed the Kurdistan Region’s oil and gas law “unconstitutional”, hence striking the independence of the Region’s energy sector and jeopardizing its industry.
The two governments have also had issues agreeing on Erbil’s share in the 2023 Iraqi federal budget bill.
Hussein was confident that Erbil and Baghdad will resolve their differences on this matter as both sides realize the importance of the fiscal budget, adding that once the bill was finalized, work can start on drafting an Iraqi oil and gas law, which will permanently define how to handle the Kurdistan Region’s oil extracting and exporting process.
After he was tasked with forming Iraq’s next cabinet in October, Sudani said that the new federal government will be committed to work “according to the constitution” in strengthening the relationship between Erbil and Baghdad, and “settling disputes and issues that have been lingering for a long time.”
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