President Barzani, German envoy discuss KRG formation
Shafaq News/ Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani met with German Ambassador to Iraq Christiane Hohmann on Tuesday to discuss the stalled efforts to form a new Kurdistan Region Government (KRG).
The Kurdish presidency stated that the two officials also reviewed ties between Erbil and Baghdad and explored opportunities to expand bilateral cooperation with Germany across key sectors.
The meeting covered regional developments, including the security situation in Syria and the ongoing threat posed by ISIS. Both sides stressed the need for stability and peaceful conflict resolution.
Parliamentary elections in Kurdistan took place in October 2024, with the KDP winning the most seats. Cabinet formation remains stalled due to tensions, legal wrangling, and clashes with the PUK.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Shafaq News
3 hours ago
- Shafaq News
425,000 Syrians return since Al-Assad's fall
Shafaq News/ More than 425,000 Syrians have returned to neighboring countries since the fall of the former regime, the Director of Public Relations at the Syrian General Authority for Land and Sea Border Crossings, Mazen Alloush, confirmed on Monday. Alloush stated that from December 8, 2024, to June 8, 2025, Syrian border crossings recorded the return of these citizens as part of the voluntary repatriation process, noting that over 250,000 of them are from Turkiye, with significant numbers also coming from Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq. He added that border crossings have also logged the arrival of tens of thousands of expatriates from Europe, the Gulf, and various other countries, either for visits or permanent resettlement in Syria. Alloush reported that since the reopening of the Arida border crossing with Lebanon last Tuesday, more than 20,000 travelers have crossed in both directions. Revealing that work is currently underway to establish a permanent commercial route between Syria and Lebanon through the Arida crossing after the Eid al-Adha holiday, he clarified that 'infrastructure upgrades and full rehabilitation of service facilities at the crossing are also ongoing.' Syria's land border crossings include Kasab, Bab al-Hawa, Hammam, Salama, al-Rai, and Jarablus with Turkiye; Jdeidet Yabous, Jousieh, and Arida with Lebanon; the Nasib crossing with Jordan; and the Al-Bukamal crossing with Iraq.
Shafaq News
9 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Kurdistan's $110B gamble: A new front in the Baghdad-Erbil oil war
Shafaq News/ More than two years after the suspension of Kurdish oil exports following an international arbitration ruling, tensions between Baghdad and Erbil have reignited once again. This time, the dispute centers on a $110B oil and gas agreement between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and two American companies. Signed during a high-profile visit by KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani to Washington, the deals target the development of strategic gas fields in the Region's al-Sulaymaniyah province. The first contract involves HKN Energy, a US-based company active in Kurdistan since 2007. HKN holds a 62% majority stake in the Sarsang block in northern Kurdistan, alongside ShaMaran (18%) and the KRG (20%), and has extracted over 63 million barrels of oil from the Swara Tika and East Swara Tika fields and employs between 200 and 500 staff across its offices in Erbil and Texas. The second company, WesternZagros, is a Canadian energy firm founded in 2003 and operating in Kurdistan since 2005. Headquartered in Calgary, it manages operations from Erbil and al-Sulaymaniyah and has invested more than $1B in the Region, with main assets including the Kormir and Karmian fields, estimated to contain 5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 900 million barrels of recoverable oil. According to KRG officials, the Miran and Topkhana-Kormir fields covered by the agreements are expected to supply 24-hour electricity to the Region and potentially export surplus power to the rest of Iraq. 'This is not just about energy security—it's about political leverage,' local energy analyst Kovand Sherwani told Shafaq News. 'If implemented, these projects could drastically reduce the Region's reliance on Iranian fuel and grant it more bargaining power with Baghdad.' The United States welcomed the deals as a step toward enhancing Iraq's energy sovereignty. A senior State Department official told Shafaq News, 'The United States believes that Iraq will be more stable and sovereign by achieving energy independence and distancing itself from Iran's harmful influence,' the official stated. 'We encourage Baghdad and Erbil to work together to begin gas production as soon as possible,' he added. American energy expert Dr. Paul Sullivan of Johns Hopkins University also told Shafaq News that 'Erbil's decision to strike massive deals with US companies signals closer ties between Kurdistan and Washington in a vital sector, and may imply implicit American support for the Region.' However, he cautioned that 'unless constitutional disputes are resolved through a federal oil and gas law, this move will only deepen the crisis with Baghdad.' The Iraqi government responded swiftly to the deal. The Oil Ministry issued a statement rejecting the deals as 'null and void,' asserting that they violate Iraq's laws and the authority of the federal government. Citing the constitutional status of Iraq's natural resources, Baghdad argued that the KRG has no right to unilaterally sign contracts, especially while operating under a caretaker government awaiting elections, due to possible obligations on future administrations. MP Basim Naghamish, a member of the Parliamentary Oil and Gas Committee, echoed the ministry's stance. 'It is unacceptable for any party to operate independently of the federal government on the oil file. What Erbil has done—signing contracts with foreign companies unilaterally—constitutes a serious constitutional and financial violation. We will use all legal means to stop this unilateral move and protect Iraq's national wealth,' he stated. The deals also triggered a backlash in Parliament, including from some of the KRG's traditional allies, with several Baghdad-based parties within the governed Shiite Coordination Framework accusing the Region of violating revenue-sharing agreements, warning that such unilateral moves could derail national budget negotiations and legislative cooperation. In response, Kurdish officials defended the deals as essential to securing energy stability and financial sustainability in the face of continued delays in federal budget transfers and the suspension of oil exports through Turkiye. The Region has faced mounting liquidity pressures since March 2023, when the International Chamber of Commerce ruled against Turkiye's unilateral export of Kurdish crude, leading to losses exceeding $20B in potential revenue. Economist Mustafa Faraj told Shafaq News the deal could be a 'double-edged sword' for the KRG. 'There's no doubt these agreements represent a major investment opportunity. They could revitalize Kurdistan's economy through infrastructure development, job creation, and expanded power generation.' But, he added, 'They're not a magic bullet. Their success hinges on legal clarity and political stability. If the dispute with Baghdad remains unresolved, investors may hesitate, and implementation could be delayed.' At the same time, the KRG garnered support from Kurdish and American lawmakers, who pointed to Baghdad's repeated delays in disbursing the Region's financial entitlements, including unpaid May salaries, leaving Erbil with no choice but to seek independent solutions to meet its basic energy and fiscal needs. At the core of the legal conflict is Iraq's 'failure' to enact a federal oil and gas law. Article 112 of the 2005 Constitution calls for cooperative management of natural resources between Baghdad and the regions, yet in the absence of binding legislation, both sides have adopted clashing interpretations of the constitution. 'The legislative vacuum has created a constitutional gray zone,' political analyst Yassin Aziz told Shafaq News. 'There is no operational clarity between the center and the regions—especially regarding who oversees which stage of oil production, from exploration to export.' He added that divergent views on federalism itself exacerbate the conflict. 'While Kurdistan believes the constitution grants it real and broad powers, many in Baghdad remain committed to a centralist mindset, viewing any independent economic initiative as a challenge to state authority.' Observers agree that the only long-term solution lies in passing a comprehensive federal oil and gas law that balances regional rights with federal oversight. Yet after nearly two decades of impasse, that breakthrough remains out of reach. In the meantime, Erbil appears determined to proceed, leveraging US backing and investor confidence to solidify its energy sector, though Baghdad must decide whether to double down on legal confrontation—or return to the negotiating table.
Shafaq News
9 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Trump warns Iran: Enrichment demands risk dangerous consequences
Shafaq News/ On Monday, US President Donald Trump rejected Iran's latest reply to a nuclear proposal, warning that Tehran's demands could collapse the negotiations. 'We're trying to reach an agreement with Iran to avoid destruction and death,' Trump said, but stressed that 'their response is unacceptable.' A meeting with Iranian negotiators is scheduled for Thursday, he announced, adding that 'they're asking for things that simply can't be done.' He reiterated Washington's core objection, 'Iran is pursuing enrichment. That's what we don't want,' warning that failure to reach a deal would carry 'extremely dangerous' consequences. Iran's Atomic Energy Organization had said it would 'never accept zero-percent uranium enrichment,' calling the US demands excessive. Trump also confirmed a recent call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which they discussed Iran and Lebanon amid other regional developments. Since the US withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018, efforts to revive or replace the agreement have repeatedly stalled. The latest indirect round, held in Rome and mediated by Oman, focused on limiting enrichment levels, which Iran has raised to 60%—far above the JCPOA's 3.67% cap. While Tehran insists its nuclear program serves peaceful purposes, Western officials argue the current enrichment levels lack a plausible civilian justification. Trump's remarks come following Iran's claims that it breached Israeli nuclear facilities and extracted thousands of classified documents, after which theSupreme National Security Council has warned that any Israeli attack on its nuclear facilities would trigger an immediate and proportionate retaliation.
