ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region Minister of Natural Resources Kamal Atroshi on Sunday met with Iraqi Oil Minister Ihsan Abdul Jabbar in Baghdad to discuss cooperation in the fields of oil and gas, with a special focus on reducing emissions of harmful gases. The Iraqi oil minister “emphasized the importance of working on increasing transparency and sharing information on oil activity, revenues achieved and working together for optimal investment of natural and hydrocarbon resources throughout Iraq to support and promote the national economy,” according to a statement from the Iraqi oil ministry. For years, the oil sector has been a thorn in relations between Erbil and Baghdad, with the federal government unhappy with the Kurdistan Region’s independent oil sales. Iraq’s budget law last year had both sides agree for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to send more than 250,000 barrels of oil per day to Baghdad in return for its share of the federal budget. Jabbar also said that both sides should work together in order to invest in the field of clean energy and reduce emissions. Both ministries are taking steps to cut their emissions, mainly by ending the environmentally harmful practice of flaring at their oil fields. In a roundtable meeting with journalists held by the KRG’s Department of Media and Information last week, Atroshi told Rudaw English that investing in cleaner sources of energy is one of his main priorities, hence his decision to instruct oil companies to stop flaring and his long-term plans to develop solar power. Relations between the Iraqi and Kurdish ministries have strengthened since Atroshi took office in January, he said, pointing out that the KRG now operates in a number of oil fields alongside Baghdad and they are cooperating together. While he is in Baghdad, Atroshi said he will also discuss rising prices for gasoline and kerosene. Prices have spiked recently, despite government efforts to control them.
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