Kurdistan to continue negotiation with Baghdad regarding 2021 federal budget

Shafaq News / Kurdistan Regional Government Vice President announced, on Monday, that the region had reached an agreement with the Iraqi government regarding the 2021 budget.

He said during a press conference after a meeting with the Kurdistan Parliament, "We have repeatedly expressed to the current and former federal government our readiness to deliver 250 thousand barrels per day (in exchange with the financial dues)"

He added, “More coordination between the Kurdish political forces is needed to approve the budget law in the Iraqi parliament containing the region share.”

This morning, the Presidency of the Kurdistan Parliament hosted met with the negotiating Kurdish delegation.

The meeting was attended by leaders of parliamentary blocs and heads of committees in Kurdistan Parliament, and Qubad Talabani, and members of the delegation.

The meeting discussed the results of the recent negotiations with Baghdad regarding the region’s financial dues.

The region’s oil exports have long been a source of contention with Baghdad. The Kurds, who control Iraq’s only northern pipeline, had been exporting oil independently since 2013. Exports from Kirkuk were restarted in 2018, after a year-long freeze amid post-referendum disputes. Exports from smaller oilfields under the regional government’s control continued.

The governments of Iraq and Kurdistan have reached an agreement on Erbil’s contribution to the 2020 federal budget.

The deal includes a transfer of 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) from the oil-producing region to Iraq’s national budget in exchange of securing the financial dues of the region.

However, Kurdistan said that the federal government did not keep their promise of sending the all financial duties to the region.