KTFA
FRANK26: "BARZANI SUPPORTS THE REFORMS OF IRAQ!!!".....F26
Baghdad prepares to receive a Kurdistan delegation...a decisive round to turn the page on disputes.
4/17/2025
Baghdad is preparing to receive a high-level delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government early next week, in a renewed attempt to resolve outstanding issues between the two sides as part of ongoing financial and economic negotiations.
An informed source told Baghdad Today, Thursday (April 17, 2025), that "the Kurdish delegation will consist of the region's Finance Minister Awat Sheikh Janab, the Minister of Natural Resources Kamal Ashti, and the Chief of Staff of the Regional Government Omed Sabah, and they will meet with the Federal Finance Minister Taif Sami and the Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani."
He pointed out that "the meeting aims to resolve the issue of non-oil financial revenues, the issue of salary localization, the delivery of lists, and the disputed points regarding the resumption of the region's oil exports."
This meeting is seen as a crucial opportunity to break the deadlock and push for a comprehensive agreement that would end the financial tension between Baghdad and Erbil.
The roots of the disputes between the federal government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) go back many years and largely revolve around oil and financial issues, most notably the mechanism for exporting the region's oil and transferring its revenues to the federal government, in exchange for Baghdad's commitment to paying the salaries of KRG employees.
Despite preliminary agreements reached during 2023 under the federal budget law, disagreements remain regarding the localization of salaries, the submission of financial statements, and the region's share of non-oil revenues. The Kurdish delegation's upcoming visit to Baghdad comes within this context, with the hope of achieving practical progress on these thorny issues.
