PM Barzani, US Security Advisor address oil exports and government formation

Shafaq New/ Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani discussed government formation and resumption of Kurdistan oil exports with the US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz in a phone call on Friday.

According to a statement from the PM’s media office, both sides explored ways to strengthen ties between the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and the United States. They agreed on the need for a new Kurdish cabinet to be formed and to resume oil exports from the Kurdistan Region “as soon as possible”.

The conversation also touched on the escalating developments in the Middle East, with both sides stressing “the importance of maintaining stability in the region.”

Earlier this week, The Kurdistan Region’s two leading political parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), announced that they had agreed on a shared vision forthenextphase.

Furthermore, Oil exports from Kurdistan have been suspended since March 2023 due to disputes over export rights, marking nearly two years of halted shipments.