Ministry Of Oil: Foreign Companies Wishing To Work In Iraq Must Respect The Country’s Sovereignty, Laws, And Judicial Decisions

Baghdad / NINA / -The Ministry of Oil announced: “The most important reason for stopping the export of oil through the Turkish pipeline currently is the refusal of foreign companies operating in the Kurdistan region to officially hand over their production to the regional government,” stressing: “Foreign companies wishing to work in Iraq must respect the country’s sovereignty and its laws and judicial decisions, and adjusting their conditions accordingly instead of interfering in sovereign affairs related to Iraq’s foreign policy.”

The ministry said in a statement in response to the statement of the Oil Industry Association of Kurdistan (APIKOR): “The cessation of oil exports through the Iraqi-Turkish pipeline in March 2023 was due to a Turkish decision resulting from the issuance of an international arbitration decision by the Paris Chamber of Commerce in favor of Iraq,” indicating “Export did not stop, not for a single day, as a result of an Iraqi federal decision.”

It added: "The federal government is the one most affected by the cessation of exports for reasons related to sovereign oil policy and others. After negotiations, Iraq and Turkey reached the restart of the pipeline and addressed the technical problems that resulted from its closure in the shortest possible time."/ End