Kurdistan-Baghdad Oil Talks Yield Positive Agreement, Kurdish MP Confirms
Kurdish lawmaker Sherwan Dubardani says Baghdad and the KRG reached a positive deal on Kurdistan oil exports. Talks with oil firms begin next week. He urges mutual legal commitment and criticizes Baghdad’s silence, warning against politicizing the KRG issue ahead of elections.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) — Sherwan Dubardani, a member of Iraq's Parliament, announced on Friday that negotiations between a Baghdad delegation and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) resulted in a constructive agreement concerning the export of oil from the Kurdistan Region. Speaking to Kurdistan24, Dubardani provided details about the meeting and the next steps in legislative and financial coordination.
“On Thursday, the Baghdad delegation arrived in the Kurdistan Region and began meetings with the Region at 5:00 PM. Both sides reached a very positive outcome and made a good agreement on the issue of oil exports,” Dubardani said.
The parliamentarian noted that follow-up meetings will begin next week between the KRG delegation and oil companies, focusing on the recently amended legislative project that incorporates the so-called “$16 agreement.”
“The Kurdistan Region’s delegation, along with oil companies, will begin meetings next week and will continue to work on the legislative project which was recently amended to include the $16 agreement,” he said.
Dubardani underscored the importance of legal and mutual adherence by both governments:
“As we voted for, the KRG must adhere to the agreement and implement it as law, and Baghdad must also respect this law. Furthermore, the companies that signed contracts with the KRG—those contracts are legal.”
He also addressed the current silence from federal authorities in Baghdad:
“So far, the Baghdad government has not issued any statements, because the KRG is ready for all of them. A financial delegation is also coming to Kurdistan—about 50% of it consists of personnel from the Kurdistan Region’s Finance Ministry—and the Region remains committed.”
Looking ahead, Dubardani stressed the importance of continuity in the engagement between Baghdad and Erbil, especially with elections on the horizon.
“The arrival of this delegation should continue, due to the upcoming elections. Right now, the elections for Iraq’s Council of Representatives are very important, and all Iraqi political parties have prepared themselves.”
He concluded with a pointed critique of Iraq’s broader political discourse:
“Iraqi political parties have done nothing for their constituents and regions, and instead, for political purposes, they repeat the same old rhetoric to the people and other areas of Iraq, saying, ‘The Kurdistan Regional Government is not committed.’”
The recent developments mark a significant moment in the protracted negotiations between Erbil and Baghdad, with implications for regional oil revenue management, legal recognition of energy contracts, and the broader political landscape ahead of national elections.
