Baghdad in Close Contact with Erbil to Address Oil Disputes: Minister

[6ly410]

ERBIL — The Iraqi Oil Ministry and Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Natural Resources are in close contact to find a solution to their prolonged disputes over the autonomous region’s oil and gas industry, Iraqi Oil Minister Ihsan Abduljabbar said. 

Earlier this year, Iraq’s Supreme Federal Court issued a ruling to deem Kurdistan Region’s oil exports “unconstitutional”. The ruling was soon rejected by Erbil which said the court itself lacked constitutional bases and that the decision was politicized. 

Minister AbdulJabbar told Sabah Newspaper on Sunday that the Kurdistan Region is allowed by the Constitution to extract and export oil from new oil wells. However, he said, the court ruling demands Erbil to send all the oil revenues to the federal government in Baghdad. 

“The Oil Ministry is working to find a legal solution in order to end the disputes between the two sides,” Abduljabbar said. 

“This is an internal issue of [Iraq], and the media has exaggerated the disputes,” he added. 

[keylime]

3 hours ago, 6ly410 said:

ERBIL — The Iraqi Oil Ministry and Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Natural Resources are in close contact to find a solution to their prolonged disputes over the autonomous region’s oil and gas industry, Iraqi Oil Minister Ihsan Abduljabbar said. 

Earlier this year, Iraq’s Supreme Federal Court issued a ruling to deem Kurdistan Region’s oil exports “unconstitutional”. The ruling was soon rejected by Erbil which said the court itself lacked constitutional bases and that the decision was politicized. 

Minister AbdulJabbar told Sabah Newspaper on Sunday that the Kurdistan Region is allowed by the Constitution to extract and export oil from new oil wells. However, he said, the court ruling demands Erbil to send all the oil revenues to the federal government in Baghdad. 

“The Oil Ministry is working to find a legal solution in order to end the disputes between the two sides,” Abduljabbar said. 

“This is an internal issue of [Iraq], and the media has exaggerated the disputes,” he added. 

Well maybe if the dispute hadn't lasted for 15 years the media wouldn't have been able to "exaggerate the disputes."