Iranian official: Kurdistan-Iran oil deal takes time

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – An Iranian official announced on Tuesday that the oil exports from the Kurdistan Region to the world markets through Iran is a time-consuming process.

Said Muhsin Qamsary, Director of International Affairs of the National Iranian Oil Company said that there have not been any steps taken yet to reach an oil deal with the Kurdistan Region to export its crude oil via Iran.

Exporting crude oil [from the Kurdistan Region] to the world market still needs a lot of time and facilities including building a pipeline, Qamsary said.

He added that the crude oil should be transported using ground routes which require large sums of money, and so far there has not been a final decision on the oil deal with the Kurdistan Region.

In May 2016, Nazim Dabag, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) representative to Tehran, revealed that based on an agreement signed between the KRG and the Iranian government, the Kurdistan Region will export 20,000 to 30,000 barrels of oil to Iran via tankers.

Elsewhere, Ali Panahi the Iranian consulate in Sulaimani previously told reporters that Iran does not have a problem reaching a deal with the Kurdistan Region over oil and gas. It just needs consent from the Iraqi federal government.

Bahram Ghasemi, the spokesperson of the Iranian Foreign Ministry in a press conference on Monday told Kurdistan24 that despite the differences with the Kurdistan Region, Iran is open to having talks with the officials to maintain and improve relations.

KRG and Iran have working economic relations. KRG plans to build a pipeline with Iran to export the Region’s crude oil abroad.

Editing by Ava Homa