RE: Rudaw30 Jun 2025 11:49
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Talks between Erbil and Baghdad on resuming Kurdish oil exports are progressing, though a key dispute over export volumes remains unresolved. While the federal government insists on 400,000 barrels per day (bpd), the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has proposed an initial figure of 280,000 bpd, sources from both sides told Rudaw. Resolving the issue is critical, as it directly affects the salary crisis impacting over 1.2 million public sector employees in the Kurdistan Region.
Informed sources in both Erbil and Baghdad confirmed to Rudaw that the latest round of meetings, held in Baghdad on Sunday, took place in a “calmer atmosphere,” easing previous tensions. The KRG delegation, led by Kamal Mohammed, acting natural resources minister, met with federal officials to to iron out the details
“The [latest] talks were held in a calmer environment, breaking past tensions, and there has been progress on the oil issue,” a senior Baghdad source told Rudaw.
Oil exports through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline have been halted since March 2023, following a ruling by a Paris-based arbitration court which found that Turkey violated a 1973 pipeline agreement by allowing Erbil to export oil independently.
On Wednesday, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said the halt in exports had cost the Region over $25 billion in lost revenues.