RE: Positive momentum26 Feb 2023 20:56
The Kurdistan Regional Government announces reaching an initial agreement with Baghdad on the draft budget law.
(Shafaq News: Feb 26 2023)
"The head of the Diwan of the Kurdistan Region Council of Ministers, Omid Sabah, announced on Sunday that a preliminary agreement had been reached with the federal government on a draft budget law for 2023.
Sabah said, in a statement received by Shafaq News agency, "The Kurdistan Regional Government delegation met today in Baghdad, with the Prime Minister of the federal government, Muhammad Shia' al-Sudani."
He added, "After discussing the outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad, an initial agreement was reached on the Maronite draft law 2023," noting that "the atmosphere was positive between the two parties."
For two months, the Kurdish delegations have been making shuttle visits to Baghdad to negotiate outstanding issues between the center and the Kurdistan Region, during which they met with the parties concerned with the budget files, the oil and gas law, and the border crossings.
The KRG negotiating delegation returned to Erbil, last Tuesday, after it conducted a two-day visit to Baghdad with the aim of resolving the differences and outstanding issues between the two sides, regarding outstanding files, most notably the oil and gas law, and the 2023 budget.
And the Iraqi government revealed, two weeks ago, that the Ministry of Finance had begun to re-prepare the general budget for the year 2023 according to the new exchange rate (130) thousand dinars per 100 dollars."