ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday received the German ambassador to Iraq to discuss a range of issues, including the ongoing talks to resume the Kurdish oil export, which have been halted for more than two years. Barzani and Christiane Hohmann discussed “efforts to form the tenth cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government,” with both sides agreeing that “a strong and united cabinet should be formed as soon as possible and before the Iraqi parliamentary elections,” according to a statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections were held on October 20, but the political parties have yet to reach a final agreement on the new cabinet. The ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) have held several meetings, and their officials have expressed optimism to reach a final deal before Iraqi general polls, slated for November 11. The KDP came out on top in the last elections, securing 39 spots in the 100-member legislature. The PUK came in second with 23 seats. Since no single party won a majority, a governing coalition will need to be formed, as has traditionally been the case. Barzani and Hohmann also touched on Kurdistan Region’s halted oil exports. The two “emphasized the importance of eliminating all problems, obstacles, and excuses hindering the resumption of oil exports from the Kurdistan Region,” read the statement. Oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through the pipeline have been halted since March 2023, when a Paris-based arbitration court ruled that Ankara had violated a 1973 agreement by allowing the KRG to export oil independently. Iraqi Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul Ghani said on Wednesday that a delegation from the Kurdistan Region’s natural resources ministry is set to visit Baghdad on Saturday to hold another meeting with his ministry regarding the restart of the Kurdish oil exports.
