Site affiliated to PUK: Maliki accepted to send Kurdistan salaries by Asadi’s initiative
accepted sending the salaries to the employees of Kurdistan Region for February and March on the initiative of an Iraqi investor .
The Web site quoted Iraqi Minister of Commerce , Khairallah Hassan , briefed by " Shafaq News " , by saying that “ al-Maliki acceptance for this initiative was based on mediation by an Iraqi investor asking to benefit from this initiative.
Hassan said that the investor, Issam al-Asadi visited him last week and discussed Baghdad - Erbil crisis , adding that they submitted the idea of this investor’s visit to Maliki and discuss the crisis , especially with regard to the employees' salaries .
Hassan added that al-Asadi visited al-Maliki and convinced him after discussions to send monthly salaries of last February and current March, although the government's statement talked about the salaries of February only.
He added that the acceptance of al-Maliki was an initiative for both parties to take steps to find a solution to the problems between them.
Hassan quoted al -Asadi that al-Maliki demanded regional officials to stay away from a strongly-worded statements and direct things towards a solution and not to add more complications to the existing problems.
Hassan demanded Kurdish officials to look positively to the initiative and make mutual steps with the federal government to pass the current crisis and use this opportunity to address the problems .
He pointed out that paying employees for February is not conditional, adding that a government statement said that it is not a requirement , but what is understood is that al-Maliki calls for solving problems and reaching an agreement .
The crisis between Baghdad and Erbil on public budget began about three months ago where Baghdad cut salaries for the staff of Kurdistan Region and demanded Erbil to export 400 000 barrels of oil through the national oil company " SOMO ," while Erbil refused this condition and believed that it is Erbil’s right to export oil through its own company called " COMO " through the new Turkishpipeline.
Both parties did not reach a compromise in spite of negotiations chaired in the Kurdish side by , Nechirvan Barzani and membership and Minister of Natural Resources in the government , Ashti Hawrami and from the government side by Prime Minister , Nuri al-Maliki and Vice President for Energy Affairs , Hussain al-Shahristani .
