Iraqi Prime Minister Zaidi and KRG Prime Minister Barzani discussed oil and budget issues

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi discussed with Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and his accompanying delegation the issues awaiting solution, especially oil, budget and civil servant salaries, which have been on the agenda between Erbil and the central government for a long time.

According to the written statement made by the Iraqi Prime Ministry Press Office, Zaidi met with Barzani in the capital Baghdad.

During the meeting, Zaidi stated that the central government is determined to guarantee the constitutional rights of KRG citizens and institutions in the region and to resolve all controversial files in line with national interests.

Zaidi stated that Iraq aims to increase oil production in the coming years and noted that daily oil production is planned to be increased to 7 million barrels in 2030 and 10 million barrels in 2032.

Stating that the daily oil production of approximately 1 million barrels in the KRG was also taken into account within the scope of this target, Zaidi emphasized that the increase in production will make a positive contribution to the development and economy throughout the country.

Following the meeting, a joint meeting was held with the participation of delegations from both parties. At the meeting, an agreement was reached to establish the necessary mechanisms to resolve the problems between the central government and the KRG within the framework of the Constitution and applicable laws.

At the meeting, the management of oil fields, regulation of oil and non-oil revenues, salaries of civil servants in the KRG, the 2027 federal budget and the Oil and Gas Law were discussed.

The issues of regulating the management of oil fields in line with constitutional provisions and managing oil and non-oil revenues in coordination between the central government and the KRG finance ministries were discussed.

It was emphasized that the salaries of civil servants in the KRG should be guaranteed to be paid regularly and sustainably, just like other employees of the Iraqi state.

In addition, the mechanisms for determining the KRG's share in the 2027 federal budget in line with the constitutional provisions were evaluated. The importance of accelerating the process of enacting the Oil and Gas Law in order to solve the problems related to oil production, export and management of oil resources was emphasized.

Zaidi and Barzani condemned the attack targeting the "Khor Mor" gas field in KRG and drew attention to the importance of protecting oil facilities and infrastructure.

The two sides stated that necessary measures should be taken to prevent similar attacks from recurring.