Barzani to Head to Baghdad for Talks on Power and Oil Sector Guarantees

Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Mesud Barzani will travel to Baghdad next week with a high-level delegation for talks with the federal government, as the two sides weigh energy cooperation and security arrangements for northern Iraq’s oil and gas sector. The delegation will present the Kurdistan Region’s Ronaki electricity program, which provides 24-hour uninterrupted power, to the Iraqi federal government. According to Barzani’s office, the program’s technical support and experience are expected to help new Prime Minister Ziyadi meet his goal of repairing the electricity sector. The discussions will also cover security guarantees needed for oil and natural gas companies in Kurdistan to resume production and exports. The talks come as Baghdad and Erbil seek practical steps to restore normal operations in a sector central to Iraq’s fiscal and export revenues. If the companies return to activity, Iraq’s daily export capacity could rise above 500,000 barrels.