ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Sunday received an Iraqi security delegation led by Iraq’s army chief of staff Abdul Amir Yarallah in Erbil to discuss establishing defenses for foreign oil companies operating across Iraq and the Region.
According to the Iraqi defense ministry Yarallah arrived in the Kurdistan Region to “discuss a range of common issues.”
An informed source to Rudaw on Sunday said the primary goal of the visit is "to strengthen military and security relations between Erbil and Baghdad," adding that Yarallah “expressed his readiness for any necessary steps to protect the oil fields of the Kurdistan Region."
This comes against the backdrop of foreign companies in the Kurdistan Region being targeted by pro-Iran Iraqi armed groups since the outbreak of the six-week war between the US, Israel and Iran in late February.
President Nechirvan Barzani’s office said the delegation “announced that the goal of their visit is to follow up on the security file of the oil companies in the Kurdistan Region.” The security plan, involving Kurdish Peshmerga forces and federal authorities, aims to provide guarantees needed to resume oil production and exports.
Regarding efforts to resume oil production and exports, President Barzani emphasized “the importance of these efforts, describing them as an effective step toward the country's economic revival,” while reaffirming the need for a joint plan and security cooperation between the Iraqi Army and the Peshmerga to maintain “stability and combat terrorism and its threats.”
The Iraqi delegation also met with Prime Minister Barzan. According to statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government, Barzani “expressed his and the Kurdistan Regional Government's thanks and appreciation for the Federal Prime Minister's follow-up and his assurances regarding the protection of the security and stability of the Kurdistan Region.”
The KRG stated in late April that at least 809 drones and missiles targeted the Kurdistan Region between February 28 and April 20.
