Baghdad-KRG deal gradually coming on line
The oil-export deal between the Kurds and the rest of Iraq is working, in part, but complexities and differences still bedevil it
After a rocky start, the oil-export deal reached between Iraq’s federal government and the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) last December is now moving towards full implementation. The country was able to get a fresh start with the election of Hayder al-Abadi as head of a new government last September, and following an interim deal, the two sides reached a comprehensive agreement which was embodied in the budget bill passed by the Cabinet on 23 December. Six months on, exports from the north are on the upswing, especially the component contributing to the federal budget. In January, pipelines going through the KRG exported close to 400,000 barrels per day (b/d), but only about
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