US envoy backs Baghdad-Erbil oil talks

Shafaq News- Erbil

Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and US envoy Tom Barrack welcomed progress on Iraq’s budget bill and looked forward to the finalization of an oil and gas agreement, Barzani said on Tuesday.

Barzani said he and Barrack agreed that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) must remain strong and unified and that its disputes with the federal government must be resolved under Iraq’s constitution. They also reaffirmed the KRG’s “strong partnership” with the US.

I was pleased to speak with @USAMBTurkiye Tom Barrack tonight following my visit to Baghdad. We agreed that the KRG must remain strong and unified, and that our disputes with the federal government must be resolved in accordance with the Iraqi Constitution. To that end, we both welcomed today's progress with Prime Minister @AliFalihAlzaidy and his team on the federal budget law, and we look forward to finalizing an agreement on oil and gas. During the call, we also reaffirmed the already strong KRG-U.S. partnership -mb.

— Masrour Barzani (@masrourbarzani) November 9, 2026

On Monday, Barzani and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi discussed the KRI’s share of the draft 2027 federal budget, oilfield management, and how to manage oil and non-oil revenues. They also stressed the need to continue paying the KRI’s public-sector employees, the KRG said.

According to the KRG, both leaders called for speeding up passage of the federal oil and gas law to address disputes over oil production and exports and set rules for managing oil resources. They also stressed the need for continued coordination and dialogue to resolve outstanding disputes under the constitution.

After the meeting, Barrack said direct talks between Baghdad and Erbil were the way to resolve difficult issues over oil exports, salaries, and revenues. He said Al-Zaidi and Barzani had shown leadership and that the US stood with both as they worked to build “one prosperous, sovereign Iraq.”