Joint committee formed to prepare hydrocarbon law: KRG

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A joint committee was created between Erbil and Baghdad on Sunday to draft an oil and gas law, after a Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) delegation met with the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, the KRG said in a statement.

The Iraqi federal court in February last year ruled the KRG's Oil and Gas Law of 2007 "unconstitutional,” a claim that the KRG strongly rejected. In the absence of a new oil and gas law, the Iraqi government still applies the 1976 law (no. 101). 

Previously, a KRG delegation on Feb 12 met with the Iraqi Ministry of Oil to discuss a draft oil and gas law and financial entitlements of the Kurdistan Region.

Read More: KRG and Iraqi Oil Ministry discuss oil and gas law

Kurdistan Region PM Masrour Barzani has repeatedly said he hoped the new Iraqi government under Iraqi PM Mohammed al Sudani would enact a new oil and gas law, which could serve as a framework for cooperation between Erbil and Baghdad.

The KRG delegation today included Minister of Finance and Economy Awat Janab Nuri, Minister of Electricity and Acting Minister of Natural Resources Kamal Mohammed, President of the Diwan of the Council of Ministers Dr. Omid Sabah, Head of the Coordination and Follow-up Department Abdul Hakim Khasraw, KRG spokesperson Dr. Jotiar Adel, Head of the Kurdistan Region's Auditing Diwan Dr. Khalid Hadi Chawshly, and KRG’s representative to Baghdad Fares Isa. 

The Iraqi delegation included the Iraqi Minister of Oil Hayan Abdul-Ghani, his two deputies, and the general directors of the Ministry.

“During the meeting, both sides discussed the oil and gas law draft, and they agreed that the draft should respect both the views of Erbil and Baghdad,” Lawk Ghafuri, the Head of Foreign Media Relations of the KRG Council of Ministers tweeted.

“Both sides agreed to stay in close contact to finalize the draft,” he added.