KRG Ministry of Natural Resources

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq - To review the latest prospects for and progress of the December 2, 2014 agreement between the KRG and the Federal Government of Iraq, a joint meeting between the Kurdistan Region Council of Ministers’ Presidency and Kurdistan representatives in Baghdad was held in Erbil this morning, May 13, 2015.

After being presented with details and data of oil export from the Kurdistan Region, the meeting’s participants agreed that:

1     While the KRG has committed to exporting the necessary amount of oil according to the agreement and the 2015 Budget Law, the Federal Government has unfortunately not committed to sending the Kurdistan Region its financial dues. This is at a time when there is an overwhelming burden on the KRG’s finances as a result of the 2014 budget cut, the fight against terrorism and the existence of more than 1.5 million IDPs and refugees, none of which have been taken into consideration by the Federal Government.

2     The meeting stressed the need to continue to solve the problems and issues through dialogue and negotiations with the Federal Government.

3     The KRG is committed to the agreement and the Federal Government’s 2015 Budget Law. But if dialogue and negotiations with the Federal Government do not achieve a result and the Federal Government remains in violation of the Budget Law and does not send the KRG’s financial dues, the KRG will (based on item 3 of article 11 of the 2015 Budget Law and according to Law No. 5 of 2013 of the Kurdistan Parliament) consider other solutions to provide the Kurdistan Region with the required budget.

4     The meeting asks the Federal Government to solve the problems and issues between the Federal Government and the Kurdistan Region according to its political program and to be committed to the Constitution and functioning laws.

* Translated from Kurdish