Masrour Barzani invites the US Secretary of State to visit Erbil.
Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani announced on Friday evening that he had extended an official invitation to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to visit Erbil.
This came in press statements following his meeting with Rubio in the US capital, where he affirmed that his meeting with the US Secretary of State was "successful," noting that he "extended an official invitation to him to visit the region."
"We discussed with Rubio the latest developments in the region," Barzani said.
This meeting comes as part of Masrour Barzani's official visit to Washington, which includes a series of meetings with US administration and congressional officials to strengthen bilateral relations and discuss regional issues of common interest. link
Comment: Sudani said before his term ends they would bring the dinar back to its former Glory.
MarkZ: His term ends in November. I think he will make this happen. But I do not believe we will be waiting that long.
Question: I wonder - will we will know the "when" ahead of time? Or will it come like a thief? MarkZ: It will come like a thief in the night…imo. I think we will get close watching the signs that it is time to prepare…but no one knows exactly when.
FRANK26: "MY ACCOUNT... MY NEW EXCHANGE RATE".....F26
Rush at TBI as Kurdistan speeds up “My Account” rollout
5/20 2025
Long queues formed outside the Trade Bank of Iraq (TBI) in al-Sulaymaniyah of Iraqi Kurdistan on Tuesday as public employees rushed to complete their registration for the My Account (HISABI) system.
“We arrived early this morning after being informed that the cards were ready,” said Nour al-Din Wali, a government employee from the Garmian Administration. “Without this card, we cannot receive our May salary.”
The My Account initiative—launched under Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and supported by the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI)— allows employees to freely choose among six participating private banks to open their salary accounts and gain access to over 19 monthly banking services, including loans, transfers, and payments, for a nominal fee of 2,500 IQD ($1.9).
The project complements a parallel government initiative, the “domiciliation” system, which assigns employees to specific banks based on agreements between the Ministry of Finance, accounting units, and financial institutions.
Both programs aim to reduce cash dependency, enhance payment security, and combat corruption through improved financial transparency.
The KRG has mandated that all public employees register by May 27, in line with a Federal Supreme Court decision calling for unified salary disbursement mechanisms nationwide.
FIREFLY:Sudani and Alaq...threatened us to bring in our currency...
They say bring in the 3 zeros notes that you Iraqi citizens are hoarding or they will make a new currency and force us to bring in what we have to get this new type of currency.
FRANK: Go talk to Mr. Sammy.
FIREFLY: Mr Sammy says...relax man...
The dinar is gaining strength and it's not gaining strength because the dollar is dropping, no...the dinar is gaining against the dollar in our country.
FRANK: If they threaten you to come out with a new currency to replace the 3-zero notes, why would you call that a threat?
I call that a blessing! They're going to give you the lower notes to replace the 3 zero notes. That's why they're talking about it...
FRANK26: "IRAQ WILL NEED THOUSANDS MORE FOR AI TECHNOLOGY"......F26
By the end of the year, Iraq will launch its first 250-megawatt solar power plant
5/21/2025
Minister Hayan Abdul-Ghani stated on Wednesday that the first solar-powered electricity generation plant in Iraq will be inaugurated by the end of 2025, stressing the ministry's commitment to implementing projects to stop the burning of associated gas and the resulting thermal emissions.
This came in a speech he delivered during the first international conference on carbon economics in Iraq, which was attended by a Shafaq News Agency correspondent in the capital, Baghdad.
In his speech, the minister said, "Iraq has realized the magnitude of the global climate challenge and the rapid economic and technological changes that are imposing themselves on the energy landscape."
He added, "Carbon emission reduction can be transformed into a real opportunity to attract financing and investment, and develop technology through carbon market mechanisms and carbon bonds." He added, "We have already taken steps in this direction, including paving the way for associated gas movement projects, achieving routine flaring by 2029, and preparing projects for carbon emission opportunities, through openness to international markets and bilateral cooperation with international partners."
Abdul Ghani also indicated that "the first solar-powered electricity generation station, with a capacity of 250 megawatts, will be inaugurated by the end of this year."
He continued, "We view carbon as an economic opportunity that can be transformed from an environmental tax into a financial economy through carbon investment, which will contribute to financing strategic projects without burdening the state's general budget.
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The Oil Minister considered that "this conference represents an important link in the chain of national efforts aimed at building a low-carbon economy, enhancing Iraq's readiness to lead the way in climate leadership mechanisms in line with our commitments to the Paris Climate Agreement, and setting our ambitions to diversify sources of income."
He explained, "Under this agreement, Iraq was committed to reducing emissions by 2% by 2023, but we, the Ministry of Oil, were able to achieve more than this percentage with the first project implemented in Basra Governorate through the implementation of the first phase."
Abdul Ghani continued, "There are projects signed by the Ministry of Oil with several companies aimed at stopping gas flaring. Through these projects being implemented, greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by more than 23%. This is almost ten times what Iraq committed to at the Paris Conference."
