Iraqi Parliament to Host Ministers of Oil and Natural Resources Over Export Issue

Iraqi Parliament's Media

A previous session of the Iraqi Parliament.

The Iraqi parliament decided on Sunday to host the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil, along with the Minister of Natural Resources of the Kurdistan Region, during a session scheduled for next Tuesday.

In a statement, the Parliament’s media office said the meeting will include Hayan Abdul Ghani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil, the Kurdistan Region’s Minister of Natural Resources, the Deputy Minister of Oil for Extraction Affairs, the Deputy Minister of Oil for Distribution Affairs, and the Director General of the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO).

The decision comes as Iraq is pushing for oil exports through northern pipeline as the recent regional tensions has halted the southern exports.

Earlier on Sunday, the Iraqi Oil Ministry issued a statement calling on the Kurdistan Region to resume oil exports immediately, stressing that discussions on the Region’s conditions would follow only after exports had resumed.

In a statement released on Sunday, the Ministry clarified that it has been in continuous communication with its Kurdish counterparts and is ready to resume exports of up to 300,000 barrels per day via the northern pipeline. This would supplement the region’s existing exports of no less than 200,000 barrels per day, with the pipeline capable of transporting approximately 900,000 barrels daily.

The Ministry noted, however, that the Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Natural Resources has declined to resume exports at present, setting several conditions unrelated to crude oil shipments. 

The Iraqi Ministry of Oil emphasised that these conditions could be addressed in parallel with restarting exports, warning that continued delays may deprive Iraq of vital financial resources and compensation linked to the suspension of southern port exports.

Afterwards, the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) responded to a statement issued by the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, highlighting six key points. 

The statement said: "The Oil Ministry has distorted the issue and seeks to mislead public opinion, while oil production has been halted due to attacks by armed groups—attacks that Baghdad has yet to address."

The KRG ministry noted that the Iraqi Oil Ministry had claimed that the Kurdistan Region was not ready to export oil via pipeline to the Turkish port of Ceyhan. 

In response, the ministry clarified the following points to the public:

1. The Iraqi Oil Ministry’s statement failed to address all aspects of the issue, distorted the facts, and attempted to mislead public opinion by accusing the Kurdistan Region.

2. Since January, Baghdad has imposed a restrictive embargo on the Kurdistan Region under the pretext of implementing the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA), preventing Kurdish investors from accessing necessary funds in dollars. We haven't had any trade movements since then, as Baghdad has not allowed the Region sufficient time to establish the system despite repeated requests since the start of the crisis.

3. Outlawed militias have targeted oil, gas, and energy fields, as well as refineries in the Region. These attacks have halted production, leaving no oil products available for export.

4. Baghdad remains unwilling to address the terrorist attacks on the Kurdistan Region, and, to date, no effective measures have been taken to prevent them.

5. Many of the attackers are funded, armed, and financed from Baghdad, while the salaries of Kurdish public servants are consistently delayed and often send in insufficient amounts to the Region.

6. The Kurdistan Region has repeatedly expressed its readiness to help resolve the crisis for the benefit of Iraq. However, despite calls for constructive dialogue, Baghdad has ignored these requests and imposed an unconstitutional and illegal agenda on the Region.

The statement concluded: "We reiterate that we are ready to convene expert teams as soon as possible to resolve these points of disagreement and reach a prompt solution that benefits all of Iraq. Kurdistan will no longer accept oppression."



PUKMEDIA