A top delegation from the Romanian senate arrived on Wednesday in Baghdad, where it met with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani. The following day the delegation traveled to Erbil to meet with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani.
“We have discussed politics, we have discussed issues of national security and challenges, and how the international coalition, with the help of Romania, helped Iraq to defeat ISIS [Islamic State],” Titus Corlatean, head of the Romanian senate delegation told Rudaw.
Corlatean said that the Romanian delegation discussed with both Erbil and Baghdad officials the need to promote economic exchanges between Iraq and Romania. He also revealed all parties’ intention to organize business forums in Romania to promote political high-level contact with leaders from both Erbil and Baghdad.
“For decades, Romania educated through its universities generations of Iraqi students, also many coming from Kurdistan [Region],” said Corlatean, highlighting the importance of sustaining the cultural exchanges between both sides, specifically at the level of universities.
“Romania has expertise, has interest to have good economic cooperation for the benefit of both sides,” he added, noting that his country is interested in partaking in oil and gas projects in Iraq.
Colatean, who has previously served as Romania’s foreign minister, said the direct bilateral exchange and investments between Iraq and Romania are around $60 million. He added that despite it not being particularly high, also due to the halt of the exchanges at the time of the ISIS takeover, it is an area of cooperation with big potential.
“This is the right moment to restart these exchanges,” he said.
The Kurdistan Region Presidency said in a statement that in the course of the meeting “the two sides emphasized the development of relations between Romania and Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, especially in the fields of economy and education.” Erbil-Baghdad relations were also discussed.
“We respect the discussions between the central government and the [Kurdistan] regional government,” said the Romanian senator, adding that for any solution to be good it should benefit all the people in Iraq.
The Iraqi parliament in June passed its highly contentious budget bill for the years 2023, 2024, and 2025, of which the Kurdistan Region’s share is 12.6 percent. However, budget issues between both governments have not been resolved as Erbil blames Baghdad for not sending the required funds to pay the Region’s civil servants.
Economic woes in the Kurdistan Region have worsened in recent months after Turkey suspended the flow of Kurdish crude oil through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline to its Ceyhan port in March following a ruling from a Paris arbitration court, causing the KRG billions of dollars in losses.
Earlier this month Iraq’s Council of Ministers agreed to lend the KRG 2.1 trillion Iraqi dinars to pay the salaries of its civil servants. The amount will be paid in three equal instalments and will cover the salaries of September, October, and November.
The KRG’s share in the 2023 federal budget will be used to pay back the loans. If Erbil’s share was not enough to cover the loans, Erbil’s dues will be settled using its allocations within the 2024 budget.
