PM Barzani, US chargé d’affaires discuss finances, oil exports

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States Chargé d’Affaires to Baghdad Steven Fagin on Saturday met Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and the Presidency’s Chief of Staff Fawzi Hariri for discussions on financial entitlements, security concerns, and formation of the next Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

“Both sides emphasized the urgent need for the federal government to promptly send the Kurdistan Region’s salaries and financial entitlements, and to resume oil exports via the Turkish port of Ceyhan without further delay,” read a statement from the KRG.

Iraq’s Council of Ministers on Thursday approved a new financial agreement with the KRG, paving the way for the resumption of salary payments to the Region’s public employees and the restart of Kurdish oil exports, which have been suspended for more than two years.

The US State Department said on Saturday that the resolution of Erbil-Baghdad tensions over oil exports and finances would signal that the Iraqi government is committed to creating a suitable investment environment.

During the meeting, Fagin “reaffirmed the United States’ firm support for a strong, stable, and federal Kurdistan Region. Prime Minister Barzani expressed his gratitude for Washington’s continued commitment and partnership,” the statement said.

In recent weeks, oil fields and energy infrastructure in the Kurdistan Region have come under drone attacks, which stopped after Erbil and Baghdad announced their new agreement.

Barzani and Fagin strongly condemned the attacks and called “for an immediate end to these acts of sabotage,” according to the Kurdish statement.

They also discussed the formation of Kurdistan Region’s next cabinet. Although parliamentary elections were held on October 20, 2024, negotiations between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), of which Barzani is a member, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) on forming a power-sharing government have dragged on for nine months. The parliament has convened only once in that time.

Barzani and Fagin both noted the importance of forming the cabinet before Iraq’s parliamentary elections set for November 11.

Fagin also met with Kurdistan Region Presidency’s Chief of Staff Fawzi Hariri, discussing relations between Erbil and Baghdad.

On behalf of President Nechirvan Barzani, Fawzi thanked the “US government and officials, as well as all those individuals and parties who played a role in initiating dialogue and negotiations and bringing the viewpoints of both sides closer together.”

The two also discussed the general situation in the region, emphasizing the need for dialogue to calm tensions. They also discussed expanding cooperation between Erbil and Washington.