Kurdistan sent a delegation to resume dialogue with the federal government

Shafaq News /Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani will head a high-ranking delegation to Baghdad tomorrow, Wednesday, aiming to reaching an agreement of the region's financial dues in the 2021 federal budget. A spokesman for the Kurdish Deputy Prime Minister announced, on Tuesday.

The region’s oil exports have long been a source of contention with Baghdad. The Kurds, who control Iraq’s only northern pipeline, had been exporting oil independently since 2013. Exports from Kirkuk were restarted in 2018, after a year-long freeze amid post-referendum disputes. Exports from smaller oilfields under the regional government’s control continued.

The governments of Iraq and Kurdistan have reached an agreement on Erbil’s contribution to the 2020 federal budget.

The deal includes a transfer of 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) from the oil-producing region to Iraq’s national budget in exchange of securing the financial dues of the region.

However, Kurdistan said that the federal government did not keep their promise of sending the all financial duties to the region.