KRG, Iraqi government fail to agree on oil income

IRBIL

Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Iraqi government reportedly failed to reach a consensus over the annual budget allocated to KRG and income of oil exported to Turkey during a meeting on Sunday.

The meeting with Nechervan Barzani, the prime minister of KRG, was held at Iraqi prime ministry office that was attended by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs Husayn Shahristani and deputies of Kurdistan List of Iraqi Parliament.

A deputy from Iraqi parliament, Ala Talabani, told Anadolu Agency that Maliki met with the Kurdish delegation to discuss various disgreements, notably budget issue, between the federal and local government.

The primary item of the meeting was energy and the Iraqi prime minister reached a consensus over many issues except one which was related to KRG's exporting of oil to Turkey on its own initiative, said the deputy, adding "If the regional government exports oil on its own initiative and does not transfer its income to Baghdad, KRG's 17 percent share in budget will be imperiled."

Noting the Baghdad government had serious concerns over KRG's exporting oil without its approval, Talabani also added the inter-delegational meeting that would be held on Tuesday was postponed indefinitely. 

Meanwhile, Shahristani on Sunday summoned Turkish chargé d'affaires Efe Ceylan to protest the pumping of oil from the Kurdish region to Turkey without the approval of the central government in Baghdad.

"Al-Shahristani asked the Turkish government to abide by an agreement signed earlier between the two countries in this regard," a statement from al-Shahristani's office said.

englishnews@aa.com