Russia working with shareholders to restore KRG oil exports: Spox

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Moscow is in contact with shareholders to help restore Kurdistan Region’s oil exports, Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

“Generally we do not comment on issues related to financial agreements between companies and governments… We are in contact with all shareholders and we help them to resolve this issue,” Maria Zakharova told Rudaw during a press briefing when asked about the future of Russian oil companies affected by the export halt. 

Oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline have been halted since March 2023 after a Paris-based arbitration court ruled in favor of Baghdad that Ankara had breached a 1973 pipeline agreement by allowing Erbil to begin independent oil exports in 2014.

Despite several talks between Kurdish, Iraqi, and Turkish officials, the exports have yet to resume and many international oil companies have suspended production.

Iraq and the Kurdistan Region share close economic ties with Russia. A number of Russian oil companies - including Lukoil, Gazprom Neft, and Rosneft - operate in the country.


Niyaz Mustafa contributed to this article.