Mewan Dolamari

The Iraqi Prime Minister has said that without reaching an agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Baghdad cannot export oil from fields in the north and the main oil pipeline from Baghdad is now under the control of Islamic State (IS) insurgents.

In the recent meeting of the high committee of Iraq provinces [excluding Kurdistan Region provinces] held in Basra, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi stated that the current financial crisis of Iraq is due to the drop in the price of oil.

“Iraq is not a country without money, but one rich in natural resources and the attendant income,” said al-Abadi.

He related the current financial crisis of Iraq to the fall of oil price and decrease of Iraqi oil exports. He added that the current crisis is temporary.

Furthermore, al-Abadi pointed out that without the Kurdistan Region, Iraq can never export oil from oil fields in the north of the country.

He also noted that exports through the main pipeline of Iraq are not currently possible as it is under the control of IS militants.

Basnews