Iraq
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 18, 2023. Photo: PM Sudani’s office
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged the government in Baghdad to continue cooperation with Erbil in order to sustain its “stability and resiliency,” in a meeting on Monday with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Blinken also extended an invitation to Sudani on behalf of US President Joe Biden to visit the White House soon and emphasized Washington’s “commitment to assisting Iraq in achieving a secure, stable, and sovereign future.”
“The Secretary urged the Iraqi government to continue its cooperation with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to foster the KRG’s stability and resiliency,” a statement by US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller read.
Turkey stopped the flow of Kurdish oil through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline after a Paris arbitration court ruling on March 23 ruled in favor of Baghdad against Ankara, saying the latter had breached a 1973 pipeline agreement and allowed the Kurdistan Region to begin independent oil exports in 2014. Oil exports from the Region have been halted since.
Baghdad-Erbil relations have been tense in recent months, particularly after the halt in exports and the passing of a contentious budget law further worsened the KRG’s economic woes.
Iraq passed its highly-contentious budget bill for the years 2023, 2024, and 2025 in June, which includes a record $152 billion in spending, of which the Kurdistan Region’s share is 12.6. However, budget issues between the two governments have not been resolved as Erbil blamed Baghdad for not sending the required funds to pay the Region’s civil servants.
Al-Monitor reported on Tuesday that Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani had sent a letter to Biden earlier this month, warning him that the Kurdistan Region could collapse, calling on the US President to mediate between Erbil and Baghdad through the “significant leverage” his administration retains with Baghdad.
Iraq’s Council of Ministers on Sunday agreed to loan a total of 2.1 trillion Iraqi dinars to the Kurdistan Region to cover the salaries of civil servants for a period of three months. The decision was highly welcomed by PM Barzani as well as US officials.
Blinken also reiterated Washington’s support for the re-opening of the Iraq-Turkey pipeline, encouraging the Iraqi government to “continue sustainably developing energy resources and combating climate change.”
The secretary also praised Sudani’s “commitment to judicial independence” as well as sentencing the culprits behind the killing of US citizen Stephen Troell on charges of terrorism.
Troell, who worked as an English teacher in Baghdad, was shot dead under unclear circumstances in the Iraqi capital in November. Earlier this month, Iraq’s judiciary convicted four Iraqi nationals and one Iranian national in relation to Troell’s killing.
Sudani expressed Iraq’s desire to boost partnership ties with the US in addressing climate change during the meeting with Blinken, while also stressing the importance of “collaborative efforts” in combating the Islamic State (ISIS), according to a statement from his office.
In an interview earlier this month, the Iraqi premier stated that Baghdad will remain a part of any global effort to combat ISIS remnants, but stressed that Iraq was no longer in need of foreign combat forces on its soil.
Sudani also met with US Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson on the sidelines of the UNGA, discussing Baghdad’s efforts to implement economic and administrative reforms and strengthen the country’s finance sector against fraud and corruption.
Updated at 11:45AM
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