Barzani recalls the 2007 Oil and Gas Law: It would have spared us legal troubles.
Barzani recalls the 2007 Oil and Gas Law: It would have spared us legal troubles.
2025-10-13 09:40
Shafaq News- Erbil
Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani called on Monday for the activation of oil and gas agreements between Baghdad and Erbil, stressing that the 2007 law for investing in this resource would have been a “successful model” had it been implemented on time.
A statement from Barzani’s residence in the Pirmam resort in Salah al-Din, Erbil, received by Shafaq News Agency, stated that the latter received today the former director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), General David Petraeus, who expressed his happiness at meeting President Barzani again, noting that “the last meeting between them was in the Sahela region in 2016 during the war on terrorism.”
Petraeus praised “the prominent role played by President Barzani and the Kurdistan Region in protecting the security and stability of the region, Iraq, and the wider region, and in confronting the terrorist organizations that emerged after 2003 and posed a real threat to the region and the world, as well as in consolidating the values of peace, democracy, and coexistence.”
In turn, Barzani, according to the statement, welcomed General Petraeus, expressing his gratitude “to the international coalition forces and the United States of America for their effective role in liberating Iraq from dictatorship, and subsequently for their continued support for the Peshmerga forces and Iraqi security forces in confronting terrorism and protecting the stability of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.”
Regarding the political process in Iraq, Barzani stressed “the necessity of implementing the provisions of Iraq’s permanent constitution as the only way to rescue the country from its political crises,” expressing his hope that “all political forces will work together to find radical solutions to the problems, away from conflicts and mutual hostilities.”
Barzani pointed out that “the 2007 Oil and Gas Law could have been a successful model had it been approved and implemented at the time,” stressing that “Iraq would not have faced any legal issues regarding the oil and gas file.”
He called for “activating the recent agreement between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government on this issue and making it a basis for resolving all disputes.”
The statement noted that “the meeting addressed the political situation and developments in the region in general, the situation in Syria, and developments in the peace process in Türkiye.”
In another meeting, President Masoud Barzani received a delegation from the Turkish province of Şırnak, headed by Governor Birol Akiçi.
The media office’s statement explained that during the meeting, the governor of Şırnak expressed his appreciation for President Barzani’s role in promoting the peace process in Turkey, commending his positive stance toward the process, and calling for continued support for efforts to achieve a peaceful solution in Türkiye.
He explained that during the meeting, emphasis was placed on the importance of developing cultural, economic, and trade relations between Şırnak Province and the Kurdistan Region, particularly with Erbil Province.
After more than two and a half years of hiatus, crude oil exports from the Kurdistan Region’s fields via Fishkhabur to the Turkish port of Ceyhan resumed on September 27, at a rate of 190,000 barrels per day.
This step followed several meetings between delegations from the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Natural Resources and the federal Ministry of Oil. A tripartite agreement was ultimately reached between the two ministries and the international investing companies, stipulating that exports will be conducted through the Iraqi State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO), which is responsible for delivering Kurdistan’s oil to the port of Ceyhan.
Kurdistan Region oil exports were halted on March 25, 2023, following an international arbitration ruling requiring Türkiye not to allow the region’s oil exports without the approval of the federal government in Baghdad.
shafaq.com
