ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A scheduled meeting between Kurdistan Region’s natural resources ministry, international oil companies and the Iraqi oil ministry in Baghdad has been postponed.
“The meeting has been postponed at the request of Baghdad,” a representative of an international oil company operating in the Kurdistan Region who was invited to the meeting, told Rudaw English on the condition of anonymity.
Iraqi Oil Ministry spokesperson Abdulsahib al-Hasnawi also confirmed to Rudaw that no meeting is taking place.
"No meeting will be held today between the federal oil ministry, oil companies, and the Kurdistan Region's ministry of natural resources regarding the resumption of oil exports,” he said.
Iraqi Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul Ghani said on Wednesday that a delegation from the Kurdistan Region’s natural resources ministry would visit Baghdad on Saturday to hold another meeting with his ministry regarding the resumption of Kurdish oil exports. He hoped that all sides would reach an agreement to restart oil exports that have been stalled for two years following a court case.
Kurdistan’s independent oil exports have always been a source of friction between the federal and regional governments and despite months of talks involving Erbil, Baghdad, Ankara, and oil producers - under pressure from the United States - and an amendment to the federal budget law, they have yet to reach a final agreement, costing billions in lost revenue.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has suffered losses that exceed $23 billion since the exports were suspended, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on Wednesday.
Updated at 11:10 am
