“The talks focused on relations between Erbil and Baghdad, particularly initiatives to resume oil exports from the Kurdistan Region, as well as progress toward forming the Kurdistan Regional Government,” read a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency.
Oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline were suspended in March 2023 after a Paris-based arbitration court ruled in favor of Baghdad against Ankara, saying the latter had violated a 1973 pipeline agreement by allowing Erbil to begin independent oil exports in 2024.
In early February, the Iraqi parliament passed an amendment to the federal budget law, clearing the way for Kurdish oil exports to resume. The amendment also increased the compensation per barrel for international oil companies (IOCs) operating in the Kurdistan Region.
Barzani and Rubinstein on Wednesday commended the ongoing dialogue between Erbil and Baghdad to resolve outstanding issues. “They expressed optimism that political factions in [the] Kurdistan [Region] would reach a consensus on forming the new cabinet,” the statement read.
The Kurdistan Region held its long-overdue parliamentary elections in October with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) emerging as the winner by securing 39 spots in the 100-member legislature. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) placed second with 23 seats, and the New Generation Movement (NGM) in third with 15 seats.
NGM leader, Shaswar Abdulwahid, has said in recent months that the KDP held talks with his group over government formation, offering them positions in the government. However, Abdulwahid hinted that these positions were not influential, noting that without real power, the NGM decided to remain in opposition.
Notably, the KDP and PUK stated on Saturday that they had made good progress in the government formation dossier. In an interview with Rudaw last week, President Barzani confirmed that the KDP and the PUK are engaged in “serious talks” about forming the new cabinet.
