President Barzani says halting oil exports plunged Iraq's Kurdistan into economic hardship

Shafaq News/ Kurdistan's President Nechirvan Barzani on Wednesday said that halting oil exports by a decision from the International Court in Paris has plunged the semi-autonomous region of Iraq into economic and financial hardships, calling for resolving the ongoing disputes between Erbil and Baghdad in accordance with the constitution and established political agreements.

The call came during his speech at the Fifth Conference of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), held in Sulaymaniyah earlier today.

Barzani laid emphasis on the priority of the upcoming elections, urging all political entities in the region to ensure the success of the Kurdistan parliamentary election process scheduled for next February.

The president expressed confidence in Kurdistan's ability to play a robust role in Baghdad, across Iraq, and in asserting its constitutional rights and achievements.

Barzani shed light on the ongoing dialogues between the Kurdistan regional government and the federal government to resolve their disputes.

He acknowledged some progress in the negotiations but highlighted enduring issues, especially regarding the budget and financial entitlements due to the halt in oil exports, which has put the region in a financial strain, affecting the lives of its citizens.

Barzani reiterated the Kurdistan region's willingness to resolve all outstanding issues with Baghdad through dialogue and understanding based on constitutional grounds, hoping the federal government reciprocates by dealing fairly with the Kurdistan region.

The president said that budget and salary issues should be kept out of political conflicts because creating financial issues to the Kurdistan region would not be of benefit to Iraq as a country.