Kurdistan Region interior minister says federal government firm on oil sector file

ERBIL, Iraq — Kurdistan Region Interior Minister Reber Ahmed said Prime Minister Masrour Barzani is "very firm" on the issue of oil companies' operations, and that the Erbil administration will support the federal government on the file. Ahmed said the federal government is reviewing the defense systems needed to protect oil companies and their fields, and that joint work is underway in that direction. On the border file, the minister said a peace process between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers' Party continues, aimed at clearing border areas of armed elements and enabling the safe return of residents. He added that the Kurdistan Region is in "excellent" coordination with United Nations institutions, and that responsibility for refugees is a shared obligation between Baghdad and Erbil under their agreements, not the Migration Ministry alone. Ahmed also called on the federal government to honor the Sinjar agreement, noting that it is included in the programs of several governments. Last week, a high-level military delegation led by Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Yarallah visited Erbil to assess critical facilities, including oil fields in the Kurdistan Region.