Kurdistan delegation reveals a proposal to deliver the region's oil to Baghdad

[6ly410]

FEDERAL LAWMAKERS REQUEST FINANCIAL DATA FROM KRG ABOUT SALARIES, OIL

Council of Representatives building in Baghdad (File Photo)

9 Hours ago 

http://nrttv.com/En/News.aspx?id=21166&MapID=1

 

SULAIMANI — The head of the Council of Representatives’ finance committee said on Thursday (May 7) that federal lawmakers have asked the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to send accurate information and data about the Region’s public sector workforce, including the number of people on the payroll.

The request comes as a delegation of KRG officials is in the Iraqi capital to discuss an ongoing budget dispute, which saw Baghdad freeze all budget transfers to Erbil in April. Coupled with the precipitous drop in oil prices, the decision means that the KRG is facing a massive cash shortage and may not be able to pay the salaries of its public sector workers.

“During the meeting, the [KRG’s] delegation promised to send all of information and data to the finance committee, to ensure that there are not any duplicated names and salaries,” said the head of finance committee of Iraqi Parliament Haitham al-Jubouri in an interview with the state-owned Iraqi Media Network.

The committee also requested data about the KRG’s oil revenues.

Iraqi President Barham Salih said during a separate meeting with the KRG delegation that total clarity should be present to solve the disputes between the Kurdistan Region and Iraq in accordance with the 2019 federal budget law.

(NRT Digital Media)

[6ly410]

Will stripping an MP of parliamentary immunity harm Kurdish unity?

1 hour ago

Karwan Faidhi Dri

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/08052020

 

The Kurdistan Region Parliament meets for a session on May 7, 2020. Photo: Kurdistan Parliament

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – At just the very moment Kurdish parties ought to be uniting in the face of economic turbulence and a renewed standoff with Baghdad, the decision to revoke the parliamentary immunity of an opposition MP on Thursday could create deeper fissures among Kurdish factions. 

The Kurdistan Parliament voted on Thursday to revoke the parliamentary immunity of Soran Omar, a Kurdistan Islamic Group (Komal) MP, allowing Prime Minister Masrour Barzani to sue him for libelous statements submitted to the parliament. 

The move, supported by Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and minority blocs in the parliament, was roundly condemned by other factions as an attack on the parliament’s democratic functions. 

If the row creates new and deeper schisms between the Kurdistan Region’s parties, it could weaken their collective clout in upcoming battles with the Iraqi federal government over oil sales, the budget, and territorial disputes. 

Around two months ago, Kurdish leaders were hailing the strength of Kurdish unity in Baghdad after they collectively rejected the cabinet selections of then-prime minister-designate Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi.  

In a meeting of the various factions on March 4, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani lauded their “unity in addressing the current situation in the country”.  

“The president also reiterated the importance of preserving unity and a common stance in regards to the political events in Iraq,” his office said in a statement.

This feat of unity was not replicated on quite the same scale on Thursday when just the two biggest Kurdish parties, the KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), approved Mustafa al-Khadimi’s new cabinet. All other Kurdish parties boycotted the parliamentary session. 

The latest spat over parliamentary immunity could further undermine this fragile unity.

What happened?

The saga began when Omar submitted documents to the parliament accusing the prime minister of owning a company and a bank, which could pose a political conflict of interests. 

Barzani responded to the accusations by filing a lawsuit against Omar in early April. 

The principal of parliamentary immunity, a key feature of democratic systems worldwide, allows MPs to lay criticism against ministers and other legislators without fear of litigation. Under Kurdish law, this has its limits. 

Therefore the Kurdish parliament met on Thursday to vote on the revocation of immunity for four MPs for various perceived infractions. Three of them were spared. Only Omar was stripped of his immunity. 

The session was attended by 58 MPs out of 111 – most of them KDP members or MPs from minority groups. 

KDP: ‘We do not want disunity’

Aware that the move could sow disunity among the parties, the parliament’s deputy speaker Hemin Hawrami, a KDP member, told reporters: “Today’s event will not affect the relations of KDP and Komal.”

The KDP leadership was “in contact” with Komal leader Ali Bapir before the vote, Hawrami said.

“We do not want disunity between parties. The Kurdistan Region’s interests and the challenges with Baghdad on the Kurdistan Region’s [budget] share are more important than immunity,” he said. 

“We have to keep our agreements on big issues and I assure you, you will see, what has been said from here and there is only social media chatter which will only last for 48-72 hours.”

Komal: ‘Weird and illogical’

Bapir released a statement on behalf of Komal on Thursday, warning: “The Kurdistan Region and Iraq are going through a sensitive and difficult period, which requires us to keep peace and our unity as much as possible.”

“Holding a parliament meeting at this time and amid this situation – when the public expect the resolution of issues related to their lives – to revoke the immunity of a parliamentarian is a weird and illogical thing,” he said.

Abdulsattar Majeed, head of Komal bloc in the parliament, also told a press conference on Thursday that: “This is a bad development … whose repercussions will be seen in the future and we will see where it will lead the Kurdistan Region to.” 

Challenges

Former Iraqi prime minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi suspended the KRG’s share of the federal budget in mid-April on the grounds that the Kurdistan Region had failed to deliver its quota of 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil to the state marketing firm SOMO – as per their December 2019 agreement.

The KRG sent a delegation to Baghdad to try and resolve the issue. Although there have been several meetings, there seems to have been little progress. All the while, public sector workers in the Kurdistan Region are going unpaid. 

Now that Mustafa al-Khadimi has won parliamentary approval for his cabinet, the arithmetic of the Erbil-Baghdad relationship could soon be shaken up.

However, his cabinet currently contains just one Kurd, weakening the Kurdish voice inside the federal government. Two more cabinet posts usually reserved for Kurdish ministers remain unfilled.

This makes Kurdish unity within the Iraqi parliament more important than ever if Kurdish interests are to be protected – particularly the KRG’s share of the federal budget, which is supposed to be paid in exchange for a daily quota of oil.

Erbil and Baghdad have continued to bicker over various versions of the oil-for-budget agreement, with the KRG receiving a share of the 2019 federal budget yet failing to hand over a single barrel of oil. 

In December, Baghdad agreed to send Erbil a 12.67 percent share of the federal budget in exchange for 250,000 barrels per day. 

However, with world oil prices falling to historic lows, the COVID-19 pandemic cutting international demand, and the KRG’s continued failure to uphold its end of the bargain, Baghdad seems to have run out of patience

[yota691]

09-05-2020 02:49 PM

Deputy: The government is able to provide salaries by returning Kurdistan's debt to Baghdad

 

 

Baghdad / news

Member of Parliamentary Finance Committee Haneen Al-Qaddu confirmed today, Saturday, that the government is able to provide salaries by returning the debts of Kurdistan to Baghdad.

Al-Kiddo said in a statement to "Al-Akhbaria" that "the salaries of employees, retirees and social welfare are among the priorities of the Iraqi government," noting that "the government should find financial resources to pay the salaries of 8 million citizens between an employee, a retiree and a beneficiary of social care."

He added that "the government is able to provide salaries by returning 128 trillion dinars, which are the debt of the Kurdistan region to Baghdad, as well as relying on the reason for diversifying the sources instead of oil."

[yota691]

The delegation of the Kurdistan Regional Government is returning to Baghdad

Political | 01:06 - 09/05/2020

 

 

 

 

Baghdad - Mawazine News, a
deputy of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan confirmed, on Saturday, that the discussions that took place between the delegation of the Kurdistan Regional Government with the federal government were positive, while noting that the delegation would return to the capital, Baghdad.
Deputy Sherwan Mirza said, "The recent discussions between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government on the oil and budget files were positive and several proposals were submitted to the Federal Prime Minister."
He added, "There is a good intention on both sides to address the oil and budget files, and I believe that they will soon reach a joint agreement to address the outstanding problems."
He pointed out, "The Kurdistan Regional Government confirmed its willingness to hand over oil and negotiate internal imports, and the federal government did not refuse to support and support the Kurdistan region, as oil prices have witnessed a good rise and all of these things are showing a real intention to address the problems."
He pointed out, "The negotiating delegation of the Kurdistan Regional Government will return to the capital, Baghdad, soon to complete discussions with the federal government and reach a joint agreement." Ended 29 / A 32

[yota691]

Forming two committees to resolve the financial and oil differences between the center and the region

Editing Date: 8/5/2020 21:19 • 97 times read

Where is the news _

Baghdad The delegation of the Kurdistan Regional Government negotiated in Baghdad today, Friday, that it agreed with the federal government to form two committees to resolve the financial and oil differences between the two sides.

The delegation said in a statement that, during the past two weeks, he held talks with the Iraqi government, political parties and a number of parliamentarians in Baghdad with the aim of discussing and addressing the issue of financial dues for the Kurdistan region.

He added that, "For this purpose, two financial and oil committees have been formed between the two sides that work as a joint team to define the differences and put in place an appropriate legal mechanism to solve the financial and oil differences."

The delegation noted that "the meetings were positive, in which the points of contention were identified, and the joint committees presented several proposals that were endorsed in order to be the basis for joint work to reach a full agreement with the Iraqi government."

The statement added that "the Kurdistan Regional Government has expressed its commitment regarding the oil obligations arising from the region with a view to reaching an agreement," noting that "the negotiating delegation insisted on financial dues, especially the salaries of employees."

[nannab]

Wow two committees!!!!  

[tigergorzow]

Yota Thanks,  DV,  The KRG is so darn full of ..it....Greedy as heck and always full of tricks.  I hope the new PM hold them accountable and bring the corrupt to justice in Baghdad & Kurdistan.  No fan of the Barzani's, Talabani's, Zebari, Al Maliki, Allawi's, etc.  They all stole the wealth of the Iraqi & KRG citizens.

[yota691]

Parliamentary Finance: The government is required to recover 128 trillion from Erbil to pay the salaries of 8 million citizens

11:50 - 05/10/2020

 

  

 

The information / Baghdad ..

On Sunday, the Parliamentary Finance Committee called on the new government to work to recover the debts of Baghdad, amounting to 128 trillion dinars, as accumulated monthly dues, indicating that these amounts will suffice to pay the salaries of 8 million citizens.

"The government is able to provide salary amounts in a number of ways without external borrowing, including providing 24 trillion dinars in border crossing funds," committee member Hanin al-Qaddo said in a statement to "The Information."

Al-Qudo added, "Erbil is required to pay 128 trillion dinars in monthly accruals as a result of selling oil and not paying it to Baghdad according to the agreement, and the government should not courtesy and recover the amount to pay salaries."

He continued, "8 million citizens, including employees, retirees and those covered by social welfare, are threatened because of the low financial revenue for Iraq in the event of failure to act wisely." Finished / 25 d

[yota691]

The National Union reveals an expected agreement between Baghdad and the region: 250,000 barrels in exchange for financial dues

 

Baghdad / Obelisk: Member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Saleh Faki, revealed on Monday 11 May 2020 a new agreement between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government, pending the approval of the Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi.  Faki said in an interview with "Al-Masala", that the new Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, has a plan to resolve the differences with the Kurdistan region, and we believe that most of the problems are on the way to resolving and reaching a comprehensive agreement. He added, that during the past days when Al-Kazemi assumed the premiership, we saw him moving in the street, and this is an important matter and we expect him to visit soon to the Kurdistan region to agree to solve all outstanding problems and issues. And between, that the new agreement between Erbil and Baghdad, is being prepared for it, and is awaiting the approval of the Federal Prime Minister, and includes the delivery of 250 thousand barrels of oil in exchange for sending financial dues.

[yota691]

Talabani's Party: The problems between Baghdad and Erbil are on the way to being resolved

Last updated: May 11, 2020 - 2:39 p.m.

 Baghdad / Iraq News Network - Member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Saleh Faki, revealed on Monday (11 May 2020) a new agreement between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government, pending the approval of the Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi. In a press interview, Faki said, “I have a president The new ministers, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, is a plan to resolve the differences with the Kurdistan region, and we believe that most of the problems are on the way to resolving and reaching a comprehensive agreement. ”He added,“ During the past days when Al-Kazemi took over as prime minister, we saw him moving in the street, and this is an important thing and we expect him to visit Close to the Kurdistan region to agree to solve all problems and high issues It is noteworthy that the new agreement between Erbil and Baghdad is being prepared for it, and it is awaiting the approval of the Federal Prime Minister, and includes the delivery of 250,000 barrels of oil in exchange for sending the financial dues.

[6ly410]

PM Barzani to Meet with KRG Delegation Negotiating with Baghdad

 Basnews English  2020-05-11 12:03:50 Kurdistan http://www.basnews.com/en/babat/602969?ä

ERBIL — Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani is expected to receive the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) delegation which is negotiating a solution to the disputes with Baghdad.

According to Kurdistan 24, PM Barzani will hold a meeting with the delegation later today, 11 May, to discuss the progress in negotiations.

The KRG dispatched the delegation to Baghdad last week for the second round of talks. The delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, met with Iraqi oil minister and several other top government officials.

The Kurds and Iraqis agreed during the last round of talks to form joint committees to find a feasible solution to the disputes acceptable to both the sides.

 

[6ly410]

Iraq's crises need 'sustainable solutions,' Kurdistan and Iraq presidents say

 Hiwa Shilani |

6 hours ago

 

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/8b844e5c-db9d-43bc-b8c1-da12c22d43cb

 

 

---

Nechirvan Barzani (Left), President of Kurdistan Region, with Barham Salih, President of the Republic of Iraq, May 11, 2020. (Photo: Iraq’s Presidency office)

 

Kurdistan Iraq Erbil Baghdad outstanding issues 

A+AA-

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met with Iraqi President Barham Salih in the city of Sulaimani on Monday to discuss the latest developments in the country.

The gathering comes only days after the national parliament confirmed former intelligence chief Mustafa al-Kadhimi as Iraq's new prime minister, amid a series of difficulties, ongoing and looming, facing the country. The two presidents welcomed and expressed their support for the new government.

 

Salih and Barzani "underlined the necessity to find sustainable solutions to Iraq’s current crises," read a statement from Barzani's office.

They highlighted "restoring peace and stability in Iraq and efforts to ease the economic hardships of households across the country, including in the Kurdistan Region."

 

The two presidents also noted the need for ongoing efforts to "end the remnants of terrorist groups and to ensure security in all of Iraq."

The Iraqi security forces have led a series of operations against members of the so-called Islamic State as terrorist activity spiked amid the coronavirus disease outbreak. Areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad as well as those surrounding them have been among the worst affected by the latest surge in terrorist attacks.

Barzani and Salih also highlighted, "Resolving the pending issues between Baghdad and Kurdistan Region, in accordance with the constitution, in particular the issue of budget and salaries of the employees of Kurdistan Region."

 

They noted further the importance of "assisting fellow citizens through the current economic hardships and strengthening political stability and security must be the priority of all groups."

"The two presidents encouraged all political groups in Kurdistan to put the differences aside and ease tensions in the country," the statement said, in reference to recently renewed disputes between leading political parties in the region.

Editing by Khrush Najari

[yota691]

12-05-2020 01:15 PM

Kurdish lawmaker: Negotiations are continuing with Baghdad on the salaries of Kurdistan employees and Fouad Hussein's Minister of Foreign Affairs !!

 

 

Baghdad / news

Member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Ali Al-Faili, confirmed today, Tuesday, that Kurdish politicians are still in continuous negotiations with officials in Baghdad in order to return the salaries of Kurdistan employees and Minister Fuad Hussein at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Al-Faili told "Al-Ikhbaria", "Fouad Hussein's candidacy to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs originally came from Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi, but there are political pressures by some blocs in Baghdad to prevent Al-Kazemi from granting the region the merit and prevent Fouad Hussain from being informed, knowing that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the Ministry The only remaining sovereign. "

He added that "Al-Kazemi is required to respond to the region's demands, including returning to the oil agreement with Erbil and paying the salaries of the employees," explaining that "the Kurdish delegations continue to negotiate with Baghdad in order to end the crisis as soon as possible and not affect the Kurdish homeland in the crisis."

It is noteworthy that the Kurdistan Regional Government is accused by Baghdad of "smuggling" oil and not exporting through SOMO (250 thousand) barrels per day, as agreed.

[6ly410]

 

[yota691]

12-05-2020 12:58 PM

Barzani's party: Al-Kazemi is able to strike a balance in the region and play a pacifying role between Iran and America

 

 

Baghdad / news

The Kurdistan Democratic Party saw today, Tuesday, that Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi is capable of striking a balance in the region and playing the role of pacification between Iran and America, while he considered that the role of neutrality at the present time is the best option.

A member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Ali Al-Faili, told Al-Akhbariya that "the recent contact between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi is a very important message of support in light of the economic and security crisis facing the new government."

He added that "Mustafa Al-Kazemi's personality is capable of striking a balance in the region, and Iraq has played the role of calm between Iran and America," noting that "the role of Iraqi neutrality at the present time guarantees international support, whether Iranian or Western, in order to end the outstanding issues and move forward with internal political reform away from Interventions. "

Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi received two phone calls from US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, in which he blessed Al-Kazemi’s assumption of the presidency of the Iraqi government, and the Iranian and American ambassadors visited the Prime Minister.

 

[6ly410]

The Kurdistan government is considering securing employee salaries and its discussions with Baghdad

https://www.shafaaq.com/ar/كوردســتانيات/حكومة-كوردستان-تبحث-تأمين-رواتب-الموظفين-ومباحثاتها-مع-بغداد/

 

05/13/2020 09:18:34

 

Shafaq News / The Kurdistan Regional Government discussed Iraq on Wednesday, during its weekly session, to secure the salaries of the region's employees and the results of its discussions with the federal government.

This came during its weekly session, which was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Masroor Barzani and the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, according to a statement issued by the government.

The statement stated that at the beginning of the session, the Prime Minister presented his congratulations and blessings on the occasion of the formation of the new federal government, expressing his hope to solve the outstanding problems between the two sides according to the constitution and within the framework of the common public interest.

After that, the cabinet highlighted the financial and economic situation of the government, and Barzani pointed out that the collapse of oil prices made the Kurdistan Region go through a difficult economic situation, as is the case with other countries in the world.

He said: "Therefore, we must adapt to the current situation in light of the limited financial capabilities that we have, and we must review the economic situation as a whole and organize it to suit the changes, and must continue to apply the law of reform."

The Prime Minister added that "the regional government is doing everything in its power to secure salaries," stressing that "the government's work is not limited to the distribution of salaries, but rather includes the provision of public services and the continuation of economic development projects."

After that, Deputy Prime Minister Faubad Talabani touched on the results of the meetings of the regional government delegation with the federal government, indicating that discussions between the two sides are continuing, especially with regard to oil, salaries and financial dues for the Kurdistan Region.

In another axis of the meeting, the Council of Ministers discussed a number of draft law proposals, including a draft law on the sale and rental of state property and money, a draft investment law in the Kurdistan Region and a draft law on patient rights and duties, and directed the ministries concerned to study those drafts in preparation for approval and referral to Parliament for decision. .

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Cabinet stressed the need to respect pluralism and peaceful coexistence in the Kurdistan Region and protect the rights of all religious and national components in the region

Edited May 13, 2020 by 6ly410

[6ly410]

05/13/2020 20:17

 

https://almasalah.com/ar/news/192389/كردستان-ملتزمون-بتسليم-الايرادات-المالية-من-بيع-النفط-وايداعها-في-الخزينة-الاتحادية

Kurdistan: We are committed to delivering the financial revenues from selling oil and depositing it in the federal treasury

 

 

Baghdad / Obelisk: The Kurdistan Regional Government announced, on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, its willingness to hand over oil and the financial revenues accruing from it to the Federal Government in accordance with the agreement concluded between the two sides at the end of 2019, stressing that the Kurdistan Regional Government has a large deficit in revenue due to the outbreak of the Corona virus.

Government spokesman Gutiar Adel said after the regional cabinet meeting with the government negotiating delegation for Baghdad that the meeting was under the direct supervision of Prime Minister Masroor Barzani and his deputy, Qubad Talabani, and discussed the first three axes of them: the financial and economic situation in the region and solutions and policies that the government will take and measures to mitigate What is left behind by the Coronavirus.

He added that the region’s government will do its utmost to secure salaries, without doubt, as the financial and economic situation of Kurdistan differs from that before the outbreak of the Corona virus, and this matter is not specific to Iraq or the region, but rather includes the entire world.

He explained that the second axis of the meetings discussed the community discussions with Baghdad to resolve the differences and outstanding issues. Fortunately, the dialogues will continue, as we emphasized the financial dues for the Kurdistan Region, adding: We confirm that we are ready and within the framework of the agreement concluded in 2019 to deliver oil.

And Adel added: We are also committed to handing the financial revenues accrued from the oil sales and depositing them in the treasury of the Iraqi state, noting that the delegation of the Kurdistan Regional Government will visit Baghdad again, but he did not specify a date for that.

He pointed out that we have a large import deficit, and we are ready to deliver 250 thousand barrels of oil production per day to the federal government, pointing out that the provincial government will distribute salaries to employees and workers in the private sector as the funds are available.

Follow the obelisk

Edited May 13, 2020 by 6ly410

[6ly410]

Kurdistan affirms its official position on the delivery of oil and financial revenues to Baghdad

 

Editing Date: 5/13/2020 17:59 • 58 times read

http://www.alliraqnews.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=92026

 

[Erbil-Ain]
The Kurdistan Regional Government announced, on Wednesday, its willingness to hand over oil and the financial revenues accruing from it to the federal government in accordance with the agreement concluded between the two sides at the end of 2019, stressing that the regional government has a "significant deficit" in revenue due to the outbreak of the Corona virus.

"The meeting was under the direct supervision of Prime Minister Masroor Barzani and his deputy, Qubad Talabani, and discussed three axes, the first first of which: the financial and economic situation in the region, and solutions were discussed," government spokesman Gutiar Adel said in a press conference held today after the region's cabinet meeting with the government negotiating delegation. The policies that the government will take and measures to alleviate the legacy of the Coronavirus. "
He added that "the region's government will do its utmost to secure salaries, without doubt, as the financial and economic situation of Kurdistan differs from that before the outbreak of the Corona virus, and this matter is not specific to Iraq or the region, but rather includes the entire world."
He explained that "the second axis of the meetings discussed the community discussions with Baghdad to resolve the differences and outstanding issues. Fortunately, the dialogues will continue as we emphasized the financial dues for the Kurdistan Region," adding, "We confirm that we are ready and within the framework of the agreement concluded in 2019 to deliver oil."
And Adel added, "We are also committed to handing over the financial revenues accruing from oil sales and depositing them in the treasury of the Iraqi state," noting that the delegation of the Kurdistan Regional Government will visit Baghdad again, but he did not specify a date for that.
He noted that "we have a large import deficit, and we are ready to deliver 250,000 barrels of oil production per day to the federal government," noting that the provincial government will distribute salaries to employees and workers in the private sector as the funds are available

Edited May 13, 2020 by 6ly410

[horsesoldier]

What a back & forth this is ! Too bad Iraq won’t RI/RV ....so many of us want off this merry go round-we press on with our lives & projects....

[6ly410]

lol 

Edited May 13, 2020 by 6ly410

[6ly410]

PM KADHIMI WANTS TO MAKE A DEAL WITH THE KURDISTAN REGION: SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER AL-HADDAD

Second Deputy Speaker of Council of Representative Bashir al-Haddad in NRT's Tawtwe interview program on Tuesday May 12, 2020 (NRT Digital Media)

12 Hours ago http://nrttv.com/En/News.aspx?id=21276&MapID=1

 

SULAIMANI — A senior legislative leader in the Council of Representatives said on Tuesday (May 12) that negotiations are underway with the goal of ending a budget impasse and releasing federal budget funds to Erbil to pay public sector employees ahead of Eid al-Fitr.

In April, the federal government froze all budget transfers with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) because Erbil had been refusing to abide by the terms of the 2019 Federal Budget Law, in particular by not sending 250,000 barrels of oil per day to Baghdad for export.

With oil prices at historic lows, Erbil is all the more dependent on the money it receives from Baghdad in order to pay government workers. There have already been delays in the disbursement of salaries in recent months, prompting scattered strikes and protests.

“Some of Iraq’s officials oppose the Kurdistan Regional Government and are not ready to make an agreement,” Second Deputy Speaker of Council of Representative Bashir al-Haddad told NRT’s Tawtwe interview program.

“Kadhimi thinks that Iraq will not achieve stability unless it agrees with the Region and he wants to extend Abdul Mahdi’s agreement with the Region,” he added.

Haddad, a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), said that negotiations to resolve the situation were ongoing and that there was hope that an agreement could be concluded within the next few weeks.

“Baghdad has received what it requested from the Region, from oil revenue reports to the names of [public sector] employees in the biometric system,” he said.

The second deputy speaker also addressed the formation of the new government, which left several positions unfilled. Of those, two are expected to go to Kurds.

“We have not talked about posts in the past few days’ meetings in Baghdad, but we talked about the salary issue.”

(NRT Digital Media)

Edited May 13, 2020 by 6ly410

[6ly410]

2 minutes ago, 6ly410 said:

 

Edited May 13, 2020 by 6ly410

[6ly410]

KURDISTAN REGION PRESIDENT BARZANI AND US CONSUL GENERAL FAGIN DISCUSS CORONAVIRUS, BAGHDAD-ERBIL RELATIONS

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani (Right) with US Consul General Steven Fagin in Erbil on May 13, 2020 (Photo Credit: Kurdistan Region Presidency Website)

25 minutes ago

http://nrttv.com/En/News.aspx?id=21288&MapID=1#.XrxEoSz53Ns.twitter

 

SULAIMANI — Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Wednesday (May 13) met with US Consul General Steven Fagin in Erbil to discuss recent events in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, including the economic situation and the global coronavirus pandemic.

During the meeting, Barzani reiterated the Kurdistan Region’s support for Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s newly-formed government, despite ongoing tensions between Erbil and Baghdad over the budget, and briefed Fagin on the progress of the ongoing negotiations.

“President Nechirvan Barzani reiterated the importance of safeguarding unity, consensus and stability in the Kurdistan Region in order to overcome the current economic hardships due to the COVID-19 outbreak,” Kurdistan Region Presidency office said in a statement after the meeting.

During the meeting, Fagin emphasized the support of the US and the international community support for Kurdistan Region and Iraq.

He also commended the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) response to the pandemic and said that the US will continue supporting the Kurdistan Region in the ongoing efforts to mitigate the effects of the pandemic.

(NRT Digital Media)

[horsesoldier]

More talk less action - keep up the good work !

[6ly410]

Kurdistan Council of Ministers Discusses Erbil-Baghdad Ties, Economic Challengeshttp://www.basnews.com/en/babat/603597#.XrxMOIwylvw.twitter

 BasNews  2020/05/13 - 22:02  Kurdistan 

ERBIL - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani chaired a meeting of Council of Ministers on Wednesday for talks on the ties between Erbil and Baghdad as well the economic challenges in the country.

"Prime Minister Barzani said the Kurdistan Region is going through difficult economic times due to falling oil prices and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, and must make adjustments due to limited financial resources," reads a statement by his office.

"He called for a review of the economy in light of the regional financial downturn, and underlined the importance of continuing to implement the Reform Law (2020)."

PM Barzani also wished the new Iraqi government success and stressed on the Constitution for resolving the remaining disputes between Erbil and Baghdad, the statement added.

In meantime, "the cabinet discussed proposed draft bills covering the selling and renting of public properties, investment, and patients' rights. Relevant departments in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) were assigned to prepare final drafts for parliament."

Deputy PM Qubad Talabani provided Barzani with an update on the recent meetings between the KRG delegation and Iraqi officials on the issues of budget and oil.

"He said dialogue with Baghdad will continue to reach a deal on outstanding problems," the statement concluded.