SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — After two days of intense negotiations in Erbil, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Iraqi Parliamentary Finance Committee have reached a preliminary agreement on Thursday aimed at reviewing oil contracts and resuming the Kurdistan Region’s oil exports.
The breakthrough, announced by Atwan al-Atwani, Chairman of the Finance Committee, marks a pivotal moment in addressing long-standing disputes between Erbil and Baghdad.
The agreement focuses on ensuring that oil contracts comply with Iraq’s constitution, particularly in shifting from production-sharing agreements to profit-sharing models with international oil companies. This transition is expected to improve transparency and align oil-related revenues between the federal and regional governments.
Speaking at a joint press conference with KRG representatives, al-Atwani detailed the discussions, which also covered financial revenues, customs automation, and the digitalization of salary disbursements for KRG civil servants and security forces. He emphasized the importance of collaboration between Baghdad and Erbil to resolve these issues, which have historically strained relations.
“The roadmap we have outlined is designed to tackle the key issues stalling oil exports. Our aim is to finalize the oil export file by the end of this year,” said al-Atwani. He added that the committee will meet with Iraq’s Ministry of Oil to address ongoing concerns and ensure a constitutionally sound agreement is reached.
KRG Minister of Natural Resources, Kamala Muhammed, also addressed the reporters, affirming the KRG’s willingness to amend existing contracts to meet Baghdad’s demands while maintaining the Region’s oil production capabilities.
The push to restart oil exports follows a March 2023 suspension of the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline (ITP), a major route for Kurdistan’s oil, after a ruling from the International Court of Arbitration in Paris. Since then, the oil sector in Kurdistan has suffered significant financial losses, with estimates reaching $20 billion.
The Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR) has also called for urgent talks involving the Iraqi government, the KRG, and international oil companies. APIKUR’s member companies have expressed readiness to resume exports once payment guarantees are in place for both past and future shipments.
APIKUR calls for urgent tripartite talks to restore Kurdistan oil exports
