President Barzani and Sudani discuss restarting oil exports

Rudaw

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The President of Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani discussed oil exports and the budget in a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Saturday in Baghdad.

Barzani reiterated the Kurdistan Region’s support for the Iraqi premier and his government. “President Barzani praised the steps taken by Mr Sudani and his works and efforts to implement the cabinet agenda, and political agreements,” reads a Barzani’s office statement.

The two leaders agreed on the necessity of implementing the recent agreement to restart Kurdistan Region oil exports and getting the federal budget bill passed in the Iraqi parliament.

Kurdistan’s oil exports were halted by Turkey after a Paris-based court ruled on March 23 that Ankara had breached a 1973 pipeline agreement with Iraq when it allowed the Kurdistan Region to send its oil to international markets through Turkey independent of Baghdad. Oil firms in the Kurdistan Region halted or reduced production and Erbil and Baghdad negotiated a preliminary agreement that would get the oil flowing again.

Barzani was in Baghdad on Saturday to attend the anniversary of the founding of the influential Badr Organisation and a ceremony marking the 43rd anniversary of the death of Mohammed Baqr al-Sadr, father of Shiite leader and cleric Muqtada al-Sadr who Barzani urged to enter into talks with Iraqi parties. Sadr quit politics last summer after he was unable to form a government amid disputes with other Shiite parties. Barzani told Sadr there is an opportunity to strengthen the reform movement and find Iraqi solutions to Iraqi problems.

Barzani also met with several local and international political leaders and officials including Iraqi President Latif Rashid former Iraqi Premier Nouri al-Maliki, and US Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski. 

Romanowski said on twitter that she met with President Barzani and delegation to discuss "the shared interest in continued progress to strengthen Iraq's energy sector and advance recent Iraq-KRG oil and gas agreement."