The Kurdistan Regional Government details the results of its negotiating delegation’s talks with the Ministries of Finance, Planning, and Oil in Baghdad.
The Kurdistan Regional Government announced on Thursday that its high-level negotiating delegation, which is currently visiting Baghdad, began its work program and meetings with the relevant ministries in the federal government on September 9, with the aim of participating in the preparation and drafting of the draft federal budget law for 2027, and establishing the region’s constitutional and financial share and entitlements.
The regional government stated in a statement that the first meeting was with the federal finance minister, where the delegation held a meeting with the federal finance minister and acting planning minister, Faleh al-Sari.
During the meeting, the delegation from the region appreciated the participation of representatives of the Kurdistan Regional Government in the drafting stage of the draft budget law at the Federal Ministry of Finance as an important and positive step, and reviewed the Kurdistan Region’s visions and proposals regarding the draft law.
In this context, the need to establish the share and entitlements of the Kurdistan Region in a fair manner and on constitutional and legal grounds was emphasized, with the aim of establishing a stable and clear basis for regulating financial relations between the federal government and the regional government.
For his part, the Federal Minister of Finance welcomed the participation of the region’s delegation and stressed the importance of continuing dialogue and coordination. He also affirmed that the Federal Ministry of Finance, in light of the constitution and relevant laws, will deal fairly with the financial rights and entitlements of the Kurdistan Region.
The next meeting was with the Federal Ministry of Planning, where a delegation from the regional government visited the Federal Ministry of Planning, and a joint meeting was held with the attendance of the undersecretaries of the Ministries of Planning in the Federal Government and the regional government, and the directors general concerned with government investment.
During the meeting, the delegation from the region stressed that the Kurdistan Region deserves its share of investment project allocations according to the results of the latest general population census, as well as allocations for regional and provincial development projects and petrodollars.
The delegation also demanded that the Kurdistan Region be granted its share of international loans, aid, and grants, since the region bears, according to its share, the responsibility for repaying these loans and their interest; and on this basis, it should receive shares of them and their benefits.
For its part, the delegation from the Federal Ministry of Planning welcomed the proposals and expressed its readiness to discuss them during the preparation of the draft budget law, and both sides agreed to continue technical and legal coordination in this area.
Meeting with the Federal Ministry of Oil
This was a continuation of the visit program, as the Kurdistan Regional Government delegation visited the Federal Ministry of Oil and met with its minister, the undersecretary of the ministry, and the relevant directors general.
The meeting agenda was dedicated to discussing the paragraphs related to the oil sector in the draft federal budget law for 2027, including the total estimated quantities of oil allocated for export (including the fields of the Kurdistan Region), the estimated price per barrel of oil for the fiscal year 2027, and the quantities of oil allocated for domestic consumption.
The regional delegation confirmed that the oil produced in the region and designated for export will be delivered to SOMO, to be sold in global markets and its revenues transferred to the federal treasury; this constitutes an important step to enhance cooperation between the two governments and increase federal revenues.
For his part, the Federal Minister of Oil and the ministry delegation welcomed the observations and suggestions, and stressed the importance of continued coordination and joint work to reach a balanced and practical formulation of the oil items in the 2027 budget, in a way that ensures the continuity of oil production and export.
The meetings emphasized resolving common issues through dialogue, coordination, and adherence to constitutional and legal frameworks, with the aim of securing the rights and entitlements of the Kurdistan Region in the 2027 federal budget bill and strengthening financial and economic cooperation between the regional government and the federal government. Economicanalysis reports
The Kurdistan Regional Government delegation stressed the region’s commitment to fulfilling its constitutional and legal duties and obligations, while emphasizing the federal government’s responsibility to provide and secure the Kurdistan Region’s financial and constitutional share and rights, particularly the salaries and entitlements of the region’s employees, in a fair and equal manner to their counterparts in the rest of Iraq.
Shafaq.com