AL-SUDANI AND THE ISLAMIC UNION PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF APPROVING THE OIL AND GAS LAW

AL-SUDANI AND THE ISLAMIC UNION PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF APPROVING THE OIL AND GAS LAW

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani received a delegation from the Kurdistan Islamic Union Party’s parliamentary bloc on Tuesday. The meeting discussed vital issues related to the relationship between the federal government and the Kurdistan Region.

During the meeting, the two parties emphasized the “need to find radical solutions, within the framework of the constitution and the law, regarding the Kurdistan Regional Government’s financial obligations, based on the provisions of the budget law and the Federal Court’s decision.”

The importance of passing the oil and gas law was also emphasized, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, referring to one of the most contentious issues between Baghdad and Erbil in years.

Al-Sudani explained that the government “is keen to meet citizens’ aspirations and monitor their affairs throughout Iraq, based on its legal and constitutional responsibilities and the priorities and needs of citizens.”

During the meeting, “a number of national issues and topics were discussed, as well as the government’s implementation of its service and economic program.”

For their part, members of the Kurdistan Islamic Union parliamentary bloc pointed to “the importance of the strengthening of security and social stability, coupled with a comprehensive economic and urban renaissance,” praising “the government’s efforts in service-related issues and tangible reforms, and their positive impact on the lives of citizens across the country.”

This comes as the Coordination Framework also affirmed the federal government’s commitment to guaranteeing the rights of all citizens, noting at the same time that the enactment of the oil and gas law represents the core of the solution between Baghdad and Erbil.

 The Iraqi constitution devotes two articles to the issue of oil and gas, Articles 111 and 112, without addressing how the country’s oil policy will be formulated. This was left to the issuance of the Oil and Gas Law, which, after two decades and the current Iraqi government’s pledge to issue it within six months, remains unclear when it will be issued.