Iraqi Finance Minister to Address Kurdistan Oil Exports in Critical Parliamentary Session
According to Kurdistan24 correspondent Dilan Barzan, the main focus of the meeting will involve Article 12 of the 2025 budget law amendments, distinctively discussing the resumption of Kurdistan Region's oil exports.
Jan. 11, 2025
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - In a noteworthy development regarding the Kurdistan Region's oil exports, Iraqi Finance Minister Taif Sami Mohammed is scheduled to meet with the Parliamentary Finance Committee on Saturday to address critical amendments to the federal budget law.
According to Kurdistan24 correspondent Dilan Barzan, the main focus of the meeting will involve Article 12 of the 2025 budget law amendments, distinctively discussing the resumption of Kurdistan Region's oil exports.
The discussions intend to finalize the draft amendments before their presentation to parliament.
The parliamentary engagement comes at a crucial juncture, following the first reading of the Article 12 amendments.
The Iraqi Parliament is set to conduct the second reading of these amendments on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, marking a possible breakthrough in the ongoing oil dispute between Erbil and Baghdad.
The meeting signifies a crucial step in discussing the continued suspension of Kurdistan's oil exports through Turkey, which has drastically affected the region's economy since March 2023.
The suspension, activated by an international arbitration ruling favoring Iraq over Turkey, has caused considerable revenue losses for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) primarily, and even Baghdad itself.
The planned amendments to Article 12 carry noteworthy repercussions for:
- The restoration of Kurdistan's oil export abilities
- Regional economic stability
- Federal-Kurdish relations
- International energy markets
This development ensues against the background of intricate negotiations between Erbil and Baghdad regarding oil revenue sharing and budget allocations.
The outcome of these discussions could possibly restructure the economic relationship between the federal government and the Kurdistan Region, with broader consequences for Iraq's energy sector governance.
The meeting's timing is mainly important as it overlaps with the Kurdistan Region’s extraordinary cabinet meeting on Saturday.
Read More: KRG Cabinet to Hold Emergency Session on Baghdad's Financial Obligations
The meeting, chaired by Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and attended by Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, includes KRG representatives in the federal government and heads of all Kurdish parliamentary blocs in Baghdad.
KRG Spokesperson Peshawa Hawramani told Kurdistan24 that the main focus of the emergency session would be discussing the continuing issues surrounding the Kurdistan Region's financial dues from the federal government.
Noticeably, Hawramani specified that "Kurdish withdrawal from Baghdad" would be among the options discussed during the extraordinary cabinet meeting.
This development comes amid ever-increasing tensions between Erbil and Baghdad over the federal government's recurring failure to honor its constitutional obligations toward the Kurdistan Region.
The federal government has recurrently deferred or held back the Region's share of the national budget, specifically impacting public sector salaries and essential services.