Kurdistan Interior Minister: Al-Zaidi is very serious about oil and we support him.
Kurdistan Interior Minister: Al-Zaidi is very serious about oil and we support him.
2026-06-21
Shafaq News – Erbil
The Interior Minister of the Kurdistan Region, Reber Ahmed, confirmed on Saturday that the Federal Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi, is “very serious” about the issue of the work of oil companies, noting that the region will provide its support in this matter in coordination with the federal government.
Ahmed told reporters, including a correspondent from Shafaq News Agency, that “the federal government and oil companies are studying the necessary defense systems to protect the companies and oil fields,” stressing that there is joint cooperation in this direction.
Regarding the border issue, the minister indicated that there are negotiations between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Turkish government concerning a peace process aimed at clearing the border areas of any armed presence, thus allowing the residents to return to their areas freely and safely.
In a related context, Ahmed explained that the Kurdistan Region is in “excellent” coordination with United Nations institutions, stressing that what is required of the federal government is not only from the Ministry of Migration, but also in terms of the shared responsibility between Baghdad and Erbil towards citizens, based on political agreements and constitutional rights.
He also stressed the need to implement the Sinjar Agreement, considering it to have become part of the government program for several successive governments, calling on the federal government to commit to its implementation, especially with the continued suffering of the displaced and the prolonged crisis.
Last week, a high-level Iraqi military delegation, headed by Chief of Staff of the Army, Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, visited Erbil, as part of moves aimed at strengthening security and protecting vital facilities in the Kurdistan Region, particularly oil fields.
A political source told Shafaq News Agency that the delegation held a series of meetings and field visits to a number of oil fields, with the aim of assessing the security situation and discussing measures to protect the facilities and workers therein, in addition to discussing mechanisms to prevent the recurrence of attacks that targeted some oil sites in previous periods.
The delegation also provided security assurances to oil companies operating in the region regarding strengthening protection measures and preventing a recurrence of attacks.
The visit also included meetings with the President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, to discuss security issues and joint coordination between Baghdad and Erbil.
shafaq.com
