The Kurdistan Region is concerned about the agreement between Iraq and British Petroleum and says this is a constitutional violation, while simultaneously demanding to resume its oil exports due to the federal government of Iraq’s non-compliance with the budget law.
The Kurdistan Region’s Prime Minister also reiterated that Kurdistan must participate in the negotiations that Iraq is conducting with the company aimed at developing the oil fields in Kirkuk.
According to an agreement between Iraq and the British Petroleum company, the company is set to extract and invest in Kirkuk’s oil. The Kurdistan Region is concerned about this step because, according to Article 112 of the constitution, the region and Baghdad must jointly manage these oil fields.
In a statement to Reuters from Davos, Masrour Barzani, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, stated that Kurdistan must be involved in the agreement between the Iraqi government and British Petroleum.
He also reiterated that Kurdistan must participate in the negotiations that Iraq is conducting with the company to develop the oil fields in Kirkuk.
The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region said that Kurdistan is not against development, but against the mechanism being used. He emphasized that a bilateral meeting should have been held for coordination in this matter.
Mona Qahwachi, the former Secretary of the Kurdistan Parliament, told (Kurdish Globe): “When Sudani’s government was formed, it was decided that within six months, the oil and gas law would be passed in the Iraqi Council of Representatives and the oil and gas issues between the region and the center would be resolved. However, like many other agreements, this was not implemented, just like the budget law that had prior agreement and understanding, yet none of it was implemented by Sudani’s government.”
Mona Qahwachi emphasized: “The Iraqi government’s agreement with British Petroleum to implement a comprehensive re-development assessment of Kirkuk’s oil fields is against constitutional articles, particularly Article 112 related to Kurdish areas outside the Kurdistan Region’s administration – this is a clear constitutional violation, because in these areas, according to the constitution, the process must be carried out jointly with the Kurdistan Regional Government.”
She further emphasized: “We were surprised by a proposal from the federal government’s representative in the Council of Representatives, unilaterally and without consulting the Kurdistan Government, or being voted on by the Federal Council of Ministers and sent to the Council of Representatives, which is also contrary to the previous decision of the Federal Council of Ministers regarding amending the budget law for re-exporting oil from the Kurdistan Region.”
Finally, she stated that “These efforts will harm all of Iraq, deepen the problems, and do not serve to resolve the issues. Therefore, we reject and stand against these efforts and proposals in all forms. Instead, we must put the proposal we have agreed upon to a vote.”