PMs Abadi, Barzani discussed oil collaboration for Kirkuk in Baghdad
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani met on Monday to discuss shared interests, among them the future of Kirkuk’s oil and the potential for joint management.
Abadi and Barzani also discussed fully reopening of the Kirkuk-Erbil and Duhok-Mosul roads and cooperation in the military and intelligence sectors.
“In our opinion, at such sensitive time, such meetings are a necessity between both governments,” Safeen Dizayee, the KRG’s spokesperson, told Rudaw.
“It was found necessary to have cooperation in the fields of intelligence, military and security so as to deny Daesh [ISIS] freedom of movement in these areas,” he added.
The Kurdish delegation again raised the idea of exporting Kirkuk’s oil through Kurdistan Region’s pipeline, while Iraq markets and sells the oil. Dizayee said the proposal was welcomed by the Iraqi side.
“They said they will work on it and will try to implement it,” Dizayee said.
They did not discuss the implementation of Article 140.
He revealed that they also discussed "the very important" affair of reopening Duhok-Mosul and Erbil-Kirkuk road. "If these roads are barred for them, then both the people and businessmen of Kurdistan, and even the people of Iraq are losing."
Mosul and Kirkuk are under the control of Iraqi Security Forces. Kirkuk Road is strategic as it is the most direct route connecting the provincial capitals of Erbil, Kirkuk, and Sulaimani. Both sides have announced the road as “open,” but a bridge near Pirde (Altun Kupri) was badly damaged in the October 16 events. The KRG has promised to build a smaller metal bridge, which would alleviate traffic through several smaller roads connecting Erbil to Sulaimani.
The KRG spokesperson said there is an agreement in principle, but there is no specific date for the reopening of the two roads.
The Mosul-Duhok road was opened to personal traffic in early January and to commercial vehicles in February. In addition to connecting the two provincial capitals, it is the only highway connecting Iraq to Turkey.
Dizayee added that Baghdad reiterated its commitment to send the Kurdistan Region 317 billion Iraqi dinars monthly.
Hussein Salman, a member of the Faith coalition, labeled the visit as very important. He added one of the topics of discussion was Kurdish participation in the Iraqi government formation, calling Kurds an important component of Iraq.
He confirmed the reopening of the Kirkuk-Erbil and Duhok-Mosul roads was another topic of discussion.
"Any closing of these roads affects tourism and the general conditions of the Region. That is why many topics were discussed to ensure [the reopening] of these roads through joint cooperation between the center and the Region,” Salman added.
"We saw great compatibility in vision and understanding in yesterday's meeting,” Salman posited.
Iraqi state media summarized the meeting as focusing on security, services, employment, and
"Dr. Haider al-Abadi discussed with Nechirvan Barzani the security aspect between the center and the Region, providing citizens with services and employment, reopening closed roads between Duhok and Mosul, and Erbil and Kirkuk, plus securing trade commercial movement between the Region and the rest of Iraqi cities, alongside on the way cooperation between the center and the Region in exporting oil through the exporting line from Kirkuk to Turkey's Ceyhan port," Saad Hadithi, the spokesperson for Abadi's office, told Iraqi Media Network.
Relations between the KRG and Iraqi government are gradually improving since the total breakdown on October 16, due to Iraq’s offensive against Kirkuk and other disputed territories.
Abadi is striving to secure a second term; all the while protests in southern and central Iraq have distracted the current PM’s ability to form a ruling coalition following his third-place finish in the country’s parliamentary election on May 12.
Abadi and Barzani also discussed fully reopening of the Kirkuk-Erbil and Duhok-Mosul roads and cooperation in the military and intelligence sectors.
“In our opinion, at such sensitive time, such meetings are a necessity between both governments,” Safeen Dizayee, the KRG’s spokesperson, told Rudaw.
“It was found necessary to have cooperation in the fields of intelligence, military and security so as to deny Daesh [ISIS] freedom of movement in these areas,” he added.
The Kurdish delegation again raised the idea of exporting Kirkuk’s oil through Kurdistan Region’s pipeline, while Iraq markets and sells the oil. Dizayee said the proposal was welcomed by the Iraqi side.
“They said they will work on it and will try to implement it,” Dizayee said.
They did not discuss the implementation of Article 140.
He revealed that they also discussed "the very important" affair of reopening Duhok-Mosul and Erbil-Kirkuk road. "If these roads are barred for them, then both the people and businessmen of Kurdistan, and even the people of Iraq are losing."
Mosul and Kirkuk are under the control of Iraqi Security Forces. Kirkuk Road is strategic as it is the most direct route connecting the provincial capitals of Erbil, Kirkuk, and Sulaimani. Both sides have announced the road as “open,” but a bridge near Pirde (Altun Kupri) was badly damaged in the October 16 events. The KRG has promised to build a smaller metal bridge, which would alleviate traffic through several smaller roads connecting Erbil to Sulaimani.
The KRG spokesperson said there is an agreement in principle, but there is no specific date for the reopening of the two roads.
The Mosul-Duhok road was opened to personal traffic in early January and to commercial vehicles in February. In addition to connecting the two provincial capitals, it is the only highway connecting Iraq to Turkey.
Dizayee added that Baghdad reiterated its commitment to send the Kurdistan Region 317 billion Iraqi dinars monthly.
Hussein Salman, a member of the Faith coalition, labeled the visit as very important. He added one of the topics of discussion was Kurdish participation in the Iraqi government formation, calling Kurds an important component of Iraq.
He confirmed the reopening of the Kirkuk-Erbil and Duhok-Mosul roads was another topic of discussion.
"Any closing of these roads affects tourism and the general conditions of the Region. That is why many topics were discussed to ensure [the reopening] of these roads through joint cooperation between the center and the Region,” Salman added.
"We saw great compatibility in vision and understanding in yesterday's meeting,” Salman posited.
Iraqi state media summarized the meeting as focusing on security, services, employment, and
"Dr. Haider al-Abadi discussed with Nechirvan Barzani the security aspect between the center and the Region, providing citizens with services and employment, reopening closed roads between Duhok and Mosul, and Erbil and Kirkuk, plus securing trade commercial movement between the Region and the rest of Iraqi cities, alongside on the way cooperation between the center and the Region in exporting oil through the exporting line from Kirkuk to Turkey's Ceyhan port," Saad Hadithi, the spokesperson for Abadi's office, told Iraqi Media Network.
Relations between the KRG and Iraqi government are gradually improving since the total breakdown on October 16, due to Iraq’s offensive against Kirkuk and other disputed territories.
Abadi is striving to secure a second term; all the while protests in southern and central Iraq have distracted the current PM’s ability to form a ruling coalition following his third-place finish in the country’s parliamentary election on May 12.