Sema
On Wednesday, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani chaired a meeting of the KRG Council of Ministers to evaluate the results of the latest negotiations between Erbil and Baghdad, including discussions involving international oil companies.
A government statement following the meeting affirmed the KRG’s full commitment to the terms of the oil export deal. This includes the Region’s readiness to restart crude oil exports through Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) and to transfer resulting revenues directly to the Federal Ministry of Finance in Baghdad.
The Council highlighted the Kurdistan Region’s “maximum flexibility” in working toward mutual understanding and enabling the resumption of oil exports. These efforts, made in good faith, aim to strengthen economic stability and protect the financial well-being of the Kurdish people.
Both the KRG and the oil companies signaled their cooperation with the federal government to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted flow of oil, eliminating any justification for the continued delay in paying civil servant salaries in the Kurdistan Region.
“All sides now await the federal government’s ratification of the agreements reached with the presence of the oil companies,” the statement said, urging immediate steps from Baghdad.
The Council also pointed out that with all administrative and legal issues resolved—including salary lists, employee counts, monthly reconciliations, and joint financial oversight—there are no remaining obstacles preventing the Federal Ministry of Finance from releasing funds owed to public sector employees.
“It is unacceptable for public employees in the Kurdistan Region to be denied their rightful salaries under any circumstances,” the statement emphasized.
The KRG called on Baghdad to fulfill its constitutional duties and end the politically driven salary blockade. The meeting concluded with a firm commitment to continued dialogue and cooperation aimed at safeguarding the livelihoods and rights of the Kurdish population.