Kurdish gov’t ready to fulfil obligations under Iraq federal budget

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is ready to implement its obligations as outlined by the Iraqi federal budget for the next fiscal year, KRG Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani said yesterday.

“The Kurdistan region is ready to implement all its obligations with the federal government, whether by providing 250,000 barrels per day of crude oil or exporting non-oil resources through the region’s outlets, in accordance with the Iraqi constitution,” Talabani, who heads the KRG delegation in negotiations with the federal government in Baghdad told the local Al-Sabah newspaper.

He added that in return, the federal government should ensure it fulfils the region’s rights as well.

The Kurdish official denied reports claiming the KRG had sold oil produced in the region’s fields to Turkey as part of a deal that extends for 50 years saying: “This is not true. We have not sold oil for 50 years to Turkey. Rather, we worked within the Iraqi federal agreement on transporting oil across the Turkish territories to global markets.”

“We have an agreement with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture regarding the goods permitted to enter the country and since 2017, we have an agreement to adhere to the customs tariff. As for the phenomenon of smuggling and illegal entry of goods, it is a phenomenon that is not restricted to the region’s ports, but in all ports of Iraq, and we must strive to develop serious solutions to get rid of it,” he added.

The Kurdish official said the region’s talks with Baghdad are now in the hands of the Federal Parliament, adding: “We hope that we will reach a positive result with a fair agreement that can be implemented.”

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