Kurdistan Region signals flexibility on resuming full oil exports

ERBIL, Iraq — The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said on Tuesday that the Iraqi federal government had responded positively to its proposal to establish a permanent joint committee to address long-running disputes between Erbil and Baghdad, including the oil dossier. KRG spokesperson Peshawa Hawramani, speaking after a cabinet meeting in Erbil, said the proposed body would work to resolve accumulated disagreements and that practical steps toward its formation would begin soon. On oil exports, Hawramani said foreign companies operating in the Kurdistan Region have been meeting with the federal government, with the KRG helping facilitate the talks. He added that exports from the region could resume at full capacity if the Iraqi government guarantees the security of oil fields and facilities and safeguards the financial rights of the companies. Hawramani noted that the KRG supports the process and is ready to work jointly with Baghdad, stressing that security tensions in the region have caused a marked decline in export volumes. He said the Regional Government is not opposed to the implementation of the ASYCUDA system for digitalizing customs data, but must be informed before it is rolled out.