KRG Official Notes Russian Role in Oil Export Talks
"In the export of oil from the Kurdistan Region, Russia has played a major role in mediation, which is important for both the Kurdistan Region and Türkiye," Dindar Zebari said.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In a significant disclosure underscoring Russia's growing geopolitical footprint in the Middle East, a senior Kurdish official revealed on Monday, that the Russian Federation has played a crucial mediating role in the resumption and negotiation of oil exports from the Kurdistan Region.
Dr. Dindar Zebari, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Coordinator of International Advocacy, told Kurdistan24 that Russia’s diplomatic and economic engagement with the Kurdistan Region is rooted in a longstanding historical relationship and continues to shape strategic developments, particularly in the energy sector.
"We should not forget that the Russian Federation was the first to open a general consulate in Erbil," Dr. Zebari noted. “Our relations with Russia are historical and not just recent. There are numerous consulates in the Kurdistan Region and most of them are principal ones, with the Consulate of the Russian Federation being one of the main diplomatic missions."
According to Zebari, Russia’s diplomatic approach toward the Kurdistan Region has consistently sought a dual-track alignment—both political and economic—within the framework of broader Iraq-Russia relations. This approach, he stated, has afforded the Kurdistan Region unique opportunities for engagement and development.
"Russia has a direct policy with Iraq, and within this framework, it has an experienced and historical relationship with the Kurdistan Region," he said. "Russia has always tried to make its approach to the Kurdistan Region both political and economic."
Highlighting the economic dimension, Zebari praised the ongoing contribution of Russian energy companies in Kurdistan, specifically naming Gazprom as a critical actor in the region’s oil infrastructure. “We are witnesses that Russian Gazprom has played a key role in recent years,” he said, pointing to the company's long-term investment in exploration and pipeline operations.
But perhaps most notably, Zebari emphasized that Russia has served as a key mediator in the complex and politically fraught issue of Kurdish oil exports—an area historically marked by tensions between Erbil, Baghdad, and Ankara.
"In the export of oil from the Kurdistan Region, Russia has played a major role in mediation, which is important for both the Kurdistan Region and Türkiye," he said.
The comments come amid a renewed push by the KRG to stabilize and secure its oil export routes following months of disruption due to legal, political, and security challenges.
