PM Barzani ready for more cooperation with Russia and Gazprom

30-08-2018
Rudaw
Tags: Gazprom Nechirvan Barzani oil gas Erbil-Moscow relations
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Amid booming second-quarter Gazprom profits, a high-level delegation of the Russian energy giant and diplomats met on Thursday in Erbil with KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani who emphasized the Kurdistan Region’s readiness to facilitate foreign investors.

They received Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin, Gazprom Deputy CEO Vladislav Baryshnikov, and the Russian Consul General to Erbil Viktor Simakov, among others.

The Russian delegation extended their gratitude for Kurdistan Regional Government’s cooperation, coordination, and facilitations for Russian companies, and historical relations between the Kurdistan Region and Russia. They hoped for the continuation and further development of these relations, according to a statement from the premier’s office.

On the same day, Gazprom announced its second quarter net profit increased from 48 billion roubles ($706 million) in April-June 2017 to 259 billion roubles ($3.8 billion) in the same 2018 period. Gazprom sends 101 billion cubic-meters of natural gas to the Turkey and European Union — a 34 percent share, according to Reuters.

The KRG statement added that Barzani showed KRG’s readiness for any facilitation to further the work of Russian companies in the Kurdistan Region, especially in the energy sector and development of the contracts between the two. 

Gazprom operates in the Halabja, Garmian, and Shakal blocks. Elsewhere in Iraq, they have operations in Badra in Wasit province.

Barzani said the Kurdistan Region is booming and has become the focus of foreign investors, stressing the government will continue to facilitate and cooperate with them.

The Kurdistan Region’s economy is emerging from the ISIS conflict, a drop in global oil prices, disagreements with Baghdad over revenue sharing, and the loss of oil exports from Kirkuk. It continues to host more than 1.1 million IDPs and refugees.

Kurdistani parties figure to sway the selection of the next Iraqi Prime Minister and his cabinet. 

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