KDP: Kurdish delegation to Baghdad to finalize oil export deal

Shafaq News – Erbil

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), a leading political force in the Kurdistan Region, announced on Sunday that a Kurdish delegation will soon visit Baghdad to finalize arrangements for resuming oil exports through the Ceyhan pipeline.

KDP lawmaker Mahma Khalil told Shafaq News that Kurdistan’s oil exports strengthen Iraq’s treasury and reinforce the country’s role in global energy markets, stressing that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) had provided Baghdad with all the requested data and fulfilled its commitments.

The upcoming delegation, he added, will focus on setting a timetable for restarting exports, noting that the Iraqi Oil Ministry and the Kurdish Ministry of Natural Resources have already settled on export volumes.

Khalil also urged the Iraqi government to honor its promises and release delayed salaries for the Region's employees, describing budget amendments previously passed as evidence of progress.

Read more: Kurdistan’s salaries: A lingering injustice beyond numbers

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani had earlier underscored that Erbil sees no obstacle to resuming exports, while Ali Nizar, director of Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO), confirmed that the final decision rests with the producing companies. SOMO has already notified both Baghdad and Erbil of its readiness to market Kurdistan’s oil once talks conclude.

The export halt has deepened the Kurdistan Region’s salary crisis. Since May 2025, the Iraqi government has suspended regular transfers, leaving public employees in limbo. The Kurdish Ministry of Finance and Economy said it submitted the August payroll to Baghdad for funding, while in late August, the Iraqi cabinet approved the release of June salaries on condition that Erbil transfer 120 billion dinars ($92 million) in non-oil revenues. Economic observers estimate the suspension is costing Iraq around $11.16 million each day.

Read more: Kurdistan’s $110B gamble: A new front in the Baghdad-Erbil oil war