The Iraqi oil and gas law is “without an internal agreement” and the Kurdistan Region fears the impact of the external decision

Shafaq News / Negotiations are continuing between Baghdad and Erbil regarding reaching an agreed-upon formula for the oil and gas law, which extends for 16 years without reaching the age of legislation, while the main Kurdish parties express their “fear” of the impact of an external decision that pushes it not to be legislated in parliament.

A member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Nihad al-Khayyat, said in an interview with Shafaq News agency, “This law and other laws passed for years without solutions, and without any clarification to the public opinion about the reasons for not approving this law, despite its association with Iraqi citizens from north to south.”

Al-Khayyat added, “The governments of Baghdad and Ariel must be serious in resolving the dispute over it, as it is linked to the implementation of other laws, such as the federal budget law. Therefore, resolving the law paves the way for resolving long-standing disputed files.”

He pointed out that “the prevailing atmosphere now is better than the previous period, despite the visit of dozens of Kurdish delegations to the capital, Baghdad, to negotiate this issue, and therefore this issue must be resolved before approving the federal budget for the current year.”

Members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party find that the region’s steps are moving day after day towards calm and a statement of goodwill to solve problems and reach partnerships that serve the public interest, but Baghdad has not yet decided to resolve these differences.

Serbest Barzo, a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, said in an interview with Shafaq News agency, “The problem about this law and other laws lies in the fact that every four years, and sometimes every year or two, the region faces a new government and new positions from Baghdad, and therefore these problems remain in place.” .

He added, “Although the region has turned dozens of times towards Baghdad with the aim of solving these problems, we expect the presence of external hands from some regional countries pushing to recycle the problems, which makes the problem stagnant.”

Barzo explained, “Baghdad wants to control the region’s oil and at the same time does not want to hand over the region’s share of the budget in accordance with legal standards. In this case, the regional government will be facing a big problem related to the citizens’ sustenance and their monthly salaries.”

He continued, “The regional government, with the resolution of all differences at the negotiating table, without the influence of any external party on the Iraqi decision, and this is evident through the goodwill messages that the region sent to the Baghdad authorities over the past years, at a time when those messages corresponded to cutting people’s livelihoods and filing a legal complaint against the Kurdish people.” “.

The official spokesman for the Kurdistan Regional Government, Jutiar Adel, had announced on February 11, 2023, the arrival of a high-ranking delegation from the regional government to the capital, Baghdad, to resume dialogue on the outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad, most notably the Kurdistan Region’s share of the federal budget, the oil and gas law, and other files. of common interest.

The heads of the federal government, Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, and the region, Masrour Barzani, agreed to resolve differences and outstanding issues, including the files of the financial budget for the year 2023 and the oil and gas law in accordance with the permanent constitution of the country.

This came during a meeting that brought them together in the capital, Baghdad, on 11/1/2023.

The oil and gas law is still a matter of controversy in Iraq after talk of preparing for a new version of it, following signs of a dispute over its passage in light of the divergence of opinions about it within the coordination framework.

The oil and gas law, which has been stalled in the Iraqi parliament since its first session until today, is one of the most prominent points on which a preliminary agreement was reached between the two sides, but there are signs of disagreement that may affect the possibility of passing it.

Shafaq.com

Japan: North Korea today launched a missile that could reach the United States

Shafaq News / The Japanese Minister of Defense revealed today, Saturday, that North Korea launched an intercontinental missile capable of reaching the United States, while Tokyo protested the launch of the new missile.

Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said in a press conference, “North Korea launched at least one intercontinental ballistic missile from the capital area, Pyeongpang, in the eastern direction, and at the present time this information is being confirmed, but we believe that its flight lasted 66 minutes and fell in the Sea of ​​Japan.” 200 kilometers west of Ushima Island, Hokkaido Prefecture, within our country’s exclusive economic zone.

“Based on the analysis of information about today’s launch, if the ICBM is launched along a conventional trajectory, it could have a flight range of 14,000 kilometers and could reach the US mainland,” the Japanese minister added.

For his part, the Secretary-General of the Japanese government, Hirokazu Matsuno, did not rule out that North Korea would continue to carry out provocative actions, including launching serious missiles and even conducting nuclear tests.

“The missile’s expected flight range is about 900 km, while its maximum flight altitude is 5,700 km,” Matsuno added.

He also pointed out that “repeated missile launches by North Korea, including the most recent one, pose a security threat to our country and the international community, describing it as completely unacceptable.”

“We do not rule out that North Korea will continue to carry out provocative actions later, including launching new missiles and conducting nuclear tests,” the Japanese official added.

The Japanese government lodged a strong protest to North Korea through diplomatic channels in Beijing in light of the new missile launch.

The US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) stated that the North Korean missile launch did not pose any direct threat to the United States and its allies. She explained that the US side was aware of North Korea’s launch of a ballistic missile and is in close consultations with South Korea, Japan and other “allies and regional partners” in this regard.

“The United States condemns these actions and calls on North Korea to avoid any further illegal and destabilizing actions,” she said in a statement. “While we have concluded that what happened does not pose any immediate threat to US citizens or territory, or the security of our allies, we will continue to monitor the situation.” “.

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American Wilson Institute: Iraqi elites trust China more than the United States

Information / translation… A report by the American Wilson Institute, which specializes in political affairs, confirmed, on Saturday, that the Iraqi political elites see China as more reliable than the United States, as Iraq is now considered one of the main recipients of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The report, which was translated by the agency / information /, stated that “Iraq and China are working together to deepen their cooperation after the two sides raised their relationship to the level of strategic partnership in 2015, especially in the energy sector, while Iraq is now one of the main recipients of contracts to build the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative – It is a relatively new development. In 2019, Iraq and China signed an oil-for-construction agreement for a period of 20 years. Former Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi described the agreement as a “quantitative leap” in Sino-Iraqi relations.

He added, “Iraq’s relationship with China is always expressed positively, and Iraqi officials express in their meetings the relationship of the old Silk Road, which was said to link the two sides through the New Silk Road,” noting that “Chinese support for Iraq dates back to the time of the overthrow of the monarchy and the Chinese recognition of the government of Leader Abd al-Karim Qasim, as this is considered to have a special impact on the Iraqi elites, especially the Iraqi leftist factions.

He continued, “China is now one of Iraq’s most important partners in trade, energy and construction. The ‘oil-for-reconstruction’ deal of 2019 that was signed under Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, among other things, reflects the prevailing perception among many developing countries.” That the Chinese experience is a more attractive model for its development than others, as many Iraqi politicians expressed their admiration for the main Chinese facilities and the tremendous development achievements.

The report indicated that “the Chinese experience, unlike the Western model, also provides a psychological sense of comfort and confidence for the Iraqi elites, while the United States still represents a symbol of the country’s invasion and destruction, while many Iraqi political elites accuse the United States of obstructing the reconstruction process in the country.”

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Deputy: The Kurdish blocs obligated the Sudanese government to implement Article 140 and pay the dues of Kurdish farmers

Shafaq News / The deputy in the Iraqi Parliament in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Nermin Maarouf announced that the governmental program of the Sudanese government is obligated to solve the outstanding problems between the center and the region, especially those related to the disputed areas.

Maarouf said during a press conference attended by Shafaq News Agency in Sulaymaniyah; The Kurdish representatives of various political orientations have committed the Sudanese government to a commitment to solving all outstanding problems between the center and the region.

She added that all issues related to the implementation of Article 140 of the Constitution, the Kurdish deputies and all parties affirmed their inclusion in the current government program, especially the lands of Kurdish farmers in conflict areas.

She indicated that the efforts of all Kurdish blocs, without exception, are clear and continuous in order to implement Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution, which has not been implemented since the adoption of this constitution.

Regarding the entitlements of the farmers of Kurdistan, the deputy indicated that the efforts of all the Kurdish blocs resulted in obligating the government to pay their dues for the three years (2014, 2015, 2016), and now all procedures have been completed to receive their amounts.

Shafaq.com

Deploying security detachments at the entrances to Anbar to track down speculators at the dollar exchange rates

Information / Anbar… A source from me in Anbar province reported, on Thursday, the deployment of security detachments at the entrances to the province to track down speculators at the dollar exchange rate for fear that they would transfer the dollar from the province to other provinces.

The source said in a statement to Al-Maalouma agency that “security detachments were deployed at the entrances of the city of Fallujah with Baghdad and other provinces, against the backdrop of receiving intelligence information indicating the intention of a number of speculators to transfer huge sums of money in dollars from the cities of Anbar to other provinces and vice versa, after harassment by the security authorities and tracking them in their areas.” “.

The source added, “The security deployment process to track down speculators came in conjunction with the return of the owners of banking offices in Anbar to stop dealing in dollars after the exchange rate exceeded 154,000 dinars for every 100 dollars.”

The source continued, “The security forces raided a number of exchange offices in search of speculators who control the exchange rate of the dollar in Anbar,” stressing that “the security forces seized huge sums of money from the dollar currency by storming an exchange office in the city of Ramadi.”

It is noteworthy that the security forces have tightened their security measures at exchange offices throughout the cities of Anbar, after they refused to abide by the official pricing set by the Central Bank.

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Parliamentarian reveals the reasons for the delay in approving the budget

Information / special… On Thursday, the representative of the Al-Fateh Alliance, Muhammad Al-Baldawi, revealed the reasons for the delay in approving the general budget law, while stressing that the differences with Kurdistan are one of the reasons for the delay in passing the budget until now.

Al-Baldawi said in an interview with Al-Maalouma agency, “One of the reasons for the delay in approving the general budget is the differences with the Kurdistan region due to the many outstanding files with them,” noting that “there is a technical aspect in preparing the draft budget paragraphs and approving projects in it from all ministries.”

He continued, “There is a specialized committee formed by the prime minister to control all imports and distribute them in a way that guarantees the right of all components of society,” noting that “Parliament will finalize the amendments after several readings to vote on them within the specified period.”

Regarding the percentage of completion of the budget, Al-Baldawi states that “the government proceeds according to the principle of political agreement and is agreed upon by all blocs, as the coming period will witness the passage of the budget law after the parliament votes on it.”

A member of the coordination framework, Ibrahim al-Sukaini, had revealed in an interview with Al-Maalouma that “one of the reasons for not completing the general budget is the government’s endeavor to impose its control on all the country’s imports,” stressing that “the new government is conducting discussions and understandings with the leaders of the region in order to organize the export of oil and make it within the framework of the law.

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The Iraqi delegation to Washington has reached “new mechanisms” regarding the dollar crisis

Shafaq News / The Iraqi government spokesman, Basem Al-Awadi, revealed today, Thursday, the conclusion of the dialogues of the Iraqi delegation in the United States of America, related to the dollar crisis. In a way different from all previous delegations that visited Washington previously.

Al-Awadi told Shafaq News agency, “The negotiations between the Iraqi and American side ended today, and the Iraqi delegation is on its way back to the capital, Baghdad, after concluding its negotiations in Washington, and the results of this negotiation were more than positive, and there was a very big surprise, as the American side has He was very interested in the Iraqi delegation in a way that was very different from all previous delegations that visited the United States of America during the past years, and there was great interest on the largest levels in the Iraqi delegation.

Al-Awadi added, “The negotiations were frank in presenting issues and files, and the Iraqi delegation was composed of two parts, one political and the other technical, given that the crisis has political dimensions related to the Iraqi reality and the nature of the relationship between Baghdad and Washington, and the technical section headed by the governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, the Ministry of Finance and Planning and a group of Political and economic advisors, and there were several meetings with the US State Department, the US Treasury, the US Federal Reserve, and members of the US Congress, Senate, and others.

And the Iraqi government spokesman added, “The two parties have reached new mechanisms in cooperation, and they will contribute to the release of large batches of hard currency into Iraq, and agreement on the method of implementing the electronic platform, and this matter will contribute, and within a very short period, to the stability of the dollar exchange rate in the local market, according to its official price.” This price will be stable in the coming days.

The American “Middle East Institute” stated, on February 14, that the administration of US President Joe Biden pressured the Iraqi delegation that visited Washington recently, in order to push Baghdad to reorient the Iraqi energy sector away from Iran, and to deal with accusations that its banking sector helps the regime. Iranian escape from Western sanctions.

The meeting of the Iraqi delegation, headed by Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, with the US Treasury, on February 10, ended with the confirmation of mutual commitment between Washington and Baghdad to anti-money laundering measures, according to a statement issued by the US Treasury Department.

Shafaq.com

Exchange offices are refusing to deal with the dollar after its rise

Information / Anbar… On Wednesday, the exchange offices in Anbar Governorate stopped buying and selling transactions in the dollar, after the dollar recorded a new rise in the exchange rate, reaching more than 152,000 dinars for every 100 dollars.

Youssef Al-Dulaimi, owner of an exchange office in Anbar, said in a statement to Al-Maalouma Agency, “The exchange offices spread throughout the cities of Anbar have stopped buying and selling operations for the dollar against the background of the high exchange rate to 152,500 dinars per 100 dollars, after it fell to 147,000 dinars from without knowing the real reasons behind his elevation.”

Al-Dulaimi added, “Stopping the process of dealing in dollars in exchange offices in Anbar until the stabilization of its rate decided by the Central Bank.”

He pointed out that “the exchange rate of the dollar fell yesterday to 147 thousand dinars, then it rose again to reach more than 152 thousand dinars, and this decrease and rise caused chaos in the buying and selling movement in exchange offices and private banks, and their inability to deal in light of the instability of prices.” .

And he continued, “The exchange offices buy the dollar from citizens according to the central bank’s pricing, but they sell it secretly at a price of more than 152 thousand dinars, secretly and unannounced.”

It is noteworthy that a security force coming from Baghdad arrested earlier one of the owners of exchange offices in the city of Ramadi, in possession of huge sums of money in dollar currency.

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A political agreement that ends the dispute over the budget and advances negotiations towards approving it

Information / Baghdad… Member of Parliament Nazem Al-Shibli confirmed, on Wednesday, that the 2023 budget will soon reach Parliament, indicating that the political forces have finally agreed on the details of the projects and their distribution.

Al-Shibli said in a statement to Al-Maalouma, that “the State Administration Coalition, when it was formed, agreed on a number of political, security, economic and service files, including the agreement on distributing funds in the 2023 budget.”

He added that “the specialized committees have completed their tasks, and there is also positive progress with regard to the region’s share in the budget, and that the issue of the region’s oil is through the positive signs of the discussions of the Kurdish delegation currently in Baghdad,” suggesting “approval of the budget at the end of this month.”

He explained that “if those agreements are adhered to, it will certainly make it easier for the Sudanese government to complete the draft budget law early and send it to parliament for approval.”

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A parliamentarian calls for speeding up the adoption of the oil and gas law: it will regulate the relationship between Baghdad and Erbil

Information / special… A member of the House of Representatives, Muhammad Saadoun al-Sudani, demanded, on Wednesday, the need to expedite the approval of the oil and gas law, and while stressing that the law will regulate the relationship between Baghdad and Erbil, he indicated that Kurdistan is required to abide by the decisions of the Federal Court.

Al-Sudani said in an interview with Al-Maalouma agency, “The issue of oil and gas is one of the most prominent outstanding problems between Baghdad and Erbil. As a result, everyone must resort to the decisions of the Federal Court.”

He added, “The judiciary has, more than once, proven the unconstitutionality of oil sales and exports by the region without returning to the federal government.”

The member of the House of Representatives explained, “The oil and gas law is supposed to speed up its legislation in order to solve this problem,” calling on the regional government to “commit to the federal decisions and the constitution, which stand at the same distance from everyone.”

Al-Sudani pointed out that “the oil and gas law will regulate the relationship between the region and the center and will put points above letters.”

The leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Wafaa Muhammad, had confirmed that “everyone, especially the Baghdad government, is hasty to implement the agreement on the oil and gas law,” hoping that “an agreement will be reached to approve the law during the coming period.”

Earlier, a member of the Parliamentary Oil and Gas Committee, Alaa Al-Haidari, confirmed that his committee is in the process of making amendments to the oil and gas law, the most prominent controversial legislation, as well as the law of the National Oil Company, indicating that the political will between Baghdad and Erbil is ideal for passing the law.

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