KRG Minister Responds to Federal Fuel Supply Offer
KRG acting Natural Resources Minister Kamal Mohammed Saleh responds to Baghdad's fuel offer, calling for a fairer share of Kurdistan's crude oil.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The Kurdistan Regional Government's acting Minister of Natural Resources issued a statement Wednesday, responding to remarks by Iraq's federal oil minister on the fuel shortage in the Kurdistan Region, calling for any resolution to reflect what he described as the region's rightful share of crude oil production.
Kamal Mohammed Saleh said federal Oil Minister Basim Mohammed had stated that Baghdad was prepared to supply the fuel needed by the Kurdistan Region if the regional government handed over the 50,000 barrels of oil allocated for domestic consumption.
In his statement, Saleh said the Kurdistan Regional Government has consistently called for fairness in the distribution of oil revenues, adding that by every measure, the region's share of crude oil for domestic use should be more than double the current allocation. He said the 50,000-barrel figure designated for the region's domestic consumption was the outcome of a temporary arrangement and did not reflect the region's own preference.
Saleh said the interests of Kurdistan Region residents remain the government's top priority. He said that if the Federal Ministry of Oil is prepared to discuss supplying all types of fuel at subsidized prices in proportion to the region's population, the KRG is ready to negotiate, in a manner that respects the region's constitutional rights, so that Kurdistan Region receives a fair and genuine share comparable to other parts of Iraq.
Saleh also commended members of the Iraqi Council of Representatives who have called for fairness and an increase in the region's share of crude oil for domestic use.