Latest news with #KurdistanRegion
Shafaq News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
President Barzani, Rubio discuss regional stability
Shafaq News/ Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio underscored the importance of sustained coordination and reinforced partnership to maintain peace and stability in Iraq and Syria, in a phone call on Wednesday. The two officials discussed regional developments and emphasized the need to deepen bilateral cooperation, a statement from the Kurdish presidency said. Posting on X, Barzani expressed his appreciation to Secretary Rubio's call, and reaffirmed 'our shared commitment to peace, stability, and the strong partnership between the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and the United States.' I appreciate tonight's call from Secretary Rubio, during which we discussed developments in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and the wider region. I reaffirmed our shared commitment to peace, stability, and the strong partnership between the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and the United… — Nechirvan Barzani (@IKRPresident) May 28, 2025 Rubio thanked Barzani for his "constructive role" in facilitating dialogue between Baghdad and Erbil, praising his efforts to resolve disputes through diplomacy and mutual understanding. 'The United States' support for the Kurdistan Region remains a core principle of its strategic relationship with Iraq,' Rubio affirmed.
LBCI
4 days ago
- Business
- LBCI
Iraq sues Kurdistan region over gas contracts with US firms
Iraq's federal authorities have filed a complaint against the autonomous Kurdistan region for signing gas contracts with two U.S. companies, two officials told AFP on Tuesday. The two agreements, worth tens of billions of dollars, were signed on May 19 in Washington. An Iraqi government official told AFP that a lawsuit had been filed before Baghdad's Al-Karkh commercial court, while a Kurdish official said the complaint called for the "cancellation of the contracts." AFP
Zawya
5 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Baghdad sues Iraqi Kurds over US energy deals
The Iraqi federal government's oil ministry has sued the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq over oil and gas contracts it signed with U.S. firms, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter said and a document showed. The legal challenge is the latest obstacle to the resumption of flows through the Iraq-Turkey oil pipeline that have been halted since March 2023, despite pressure by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Baghdad has said direct engagement between companies and the Kurdistan regional government, or KRG, without the federal government's inclusion violates the constitution, calling the deals null and void. The KRG has defended the agreements, saying they were based on existing contracts. A speedy resumption of exports from Iraq's Kurdistan region would help to offset any fall in Iranian oil exports, which Washington has pledged to cut to zero as part of Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran. Iraq, an ally to both the United States and Iran, is wary of being caught up in Trump's policy to squeeze Tehran. Masrour Barzani, the prime minister of the KRG, oversaw the signing of two energy agreements worth a combined $110 billion over their lifetimes with U.S. companies HKN Energy and WesternZagros during his trip to Washington D.C. last week. He met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday and discussed the need to resume oil exports from Kuridstan through the Iraqi Turkish pipeline, a KRG statement said. Reuters has contacted the U.S. companies, but has not yet received a response. "The timing of the gas deals is particularly significant, considering Iran's weakening position and Washington's ongoing pressure on Baghdad to reduce reliance on Iranian gas imports," Iraqi energy analyst and a former manager at the state-run North Oil Co. Ali al-Obeidi, said. The agreements involve the development of the Miran and Topkhana-Kurdamir gas fields in the northern Iraqi city of Sulaimaniya. The three sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly about Iraq's legal action. Flows through the pipeline were halted after the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce ruled that Turkey violated provisions of a 1973 treaty by facilitating Kurdish exports without Baghdad's consent. Negotiations to resume Kurdish oil exports via the Iraq-Turkey oil pipeline, which once handled about 0.5% of global oil supply, have stalled over payment terms and contract details. (Reporting by Maha El Dahan in Dubai and Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad; Writing by Yousef Saba; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Barbara Lewis)
Asharq Al-Awsat
5 days ago
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Iraqi Oil Ministry Sues Kurdish Region's Govt. over US Contracts
The Iraqi federal government's oil ministry has sued the government of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq over oil and gas contracts it signed with US firms, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter said and a document showed. The legal challenge is the latest obstacle to the resumption of flows through the Iraq-Türkiye oil pipeline that have been halted since March 2023, despite pressure by the administration of US President Donald Trump. Masrour Barzani, the prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, or KRG, oversaw the signing of two energy agreements worth a combined $110 billion over their lifetimes with US companies HKN Energy and WesternZagros, Reuters reported. The agreements involve the development of the Miran and Topkhana-Kurdamir gas fields in the northern Iraqi city of Sulaimaniya. Baghdad has said direct engagement between companies and the KRG without the federal government's inclusion violates the constitution. It has called the deals "null and void". The KRG has defended the agreements, saying they were based on existing contracts. The sources who spoke about Iraq's legal action spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly on it. Barzani met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday during a visit to Washington, D.C. and they discussed "the need to resume oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through the Iraqi Turkish pipeline," a KRG statement said. Control over oil and gas has long been a source of tension between the federal government and the Kurdistan regional government. A major issue concerns the pipeline running through Türkiye. Flows through it were halted after the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce ruled that Türkiye violated provisions of a 1973 treaty by facilitating Kurdish exports without Baghdad's consent. Negotiations to resume Kurdish oil exports via the Iraq-Türkiye oil pipeline, which once handled about 0.5% of global oil supply, have stalled over payment terms and contract details.
Shafaq News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
President Barzani marks 49th anniversary of Gulan Revolution: A call for unity
Shafaq News/ Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Monday commemorated the 49th anniversary of the Gulan Revolution, hailing it as a testament to the Kurdish people's unshakable commitment to liberty and dignity. In an official statement, Barzani paid tribute to the 'immortal martyrs and heroic fighters' of the uprising, honoring those who gave their lives in pursuit of freedom. "Gulan was a reaffirmation of the people's refusal to accept injustice or occupation," he added, calling it a powerful continuation of the Great September Revolution led by the late Mustafa Barzani. The Kurdish president urged all sides to protect the constitutional and federal achievements secured through decades of struggle and to uphold the legacy of the revolution with unity and cooperation. 'Let Gulan inspire us to work together for a better future,' he said. The Gulan Revolution began in 1976 after the collapse of the 1975 Algiers Agreement, when the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) reorganized its resistance against the Baathist regime. Drawing on shifting dynamics in the Middle East, the movement reignited hope among Kurds for justice and self-rule.
