ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Tragedy struck the family of Iraqi Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul Ghani this weekend when he lost three members of his family.
The minister’s daughter and his sister lost their lives in a car accident on Friday morning. The family was reportedly returning home from the burial of Ghani’s father when the accident happened.
Iraqi and Kurdish leaders extended their condolences to the minister and his family.
“I sympathize and share their grief in this great sorrow and during this difficult time,” Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani wrote in a condolence message.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani also sent a message of sympathy to Ghani.
A delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) was supposed to travel to Baghdad for talks with the federal oil ministry on drafting a hydrocarbon law, but the meeting was canceled following the death of Ghani’s father.
Earlier this week, Ghani made a two-day visit to Ankara where he met with his Turkish counterpart Alparslan Bayraktar and discussed resuming Kurdistan Region’s oil exports through Turkey's Ceyhan port, which has been on hold for over five months.
