Baghdad, Erbil reach comprehensive agreement

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, announced on Monday that a comprehensive agreement had been reached on the standing issues between Baghdad and the Kurdistan region.

Al-Sudani, during a press conference, said that the understandings between Baghdad and Erbil were on clear points, noting that if any disagreements between Baghdad and Erbil took place, there is a committee that submits its recommendations to the Prime Minister.

“For the first time, the total revenues of the oil produced in Kurdistan are deposited in a bank account controlled by the federal administration,” Al-Sudani explained.

Al-Sudani added that the understandings between Baghdad and Erbil confirm that the two parties are moving forward to approve the oil and gas law.

The oil and gas law in Iraq, which has been stagnant in the Iraqi Parliament since 2005 due to disagreements with the Kurdish political forces, stipulates that the management of Iraq’s oil fields must be entrusted to a national oil company supervised by a specialized federal council.

This means that Baghdad is responsible for oil in Kurdistan, which Erbil rejects, and considers it a measure that violates the constitution.

The issues between Baghdad and Erbil are among the major problems the successive Iraqi governments face.

Some of the major issues between Baghdad and Erbil include the salaries of employees in Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), security coordination in disputed areas, and a mechanism for exporting oil from fields in the Kurdistan region.

Iraqinews.com