Qubad Talabani to US diplomat: it does not matter who sells the oil

Shafaq News/ The Kurdistan Region does not have an issue with "who sells the oil", it is rather concerned about securing its fair share of the federal budget and the other constitutional rights, Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani said on Wednesday.

Talabani received the US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Barbara A. Leaf, and her accompanying delegation in Erbil, on Wednesday.

The deputy prime minister and his guests discussed the Erbil-Baghdad ties, the latest political developments in Iraq, and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) reform efforts, according to a statement from the Kurdish official's office.

"We do not have an issue with who sells the oil. But our concerns are about securing the budget, financial entitlements, and the Kurdish people's constitutional rights,” Talabani told Leaf in the meeting attended by US Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski in the meeting.

Talabani expressed KRG's keenness to implement reforms "in all sectors and step by step", asking Washington to continue its support for the government's efforts.

The US diplomat on Sunday arrived in Baghdad, where she met with the top Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad al-Halboosi.