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Iraq Parliament summons oil ministers
7.12.2007
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December
7, 2007
Baghdad,-- Iraq's Parliament will hold what
will surely be a contentious session on the
country's oil sector, with the national and Kurdish
oil ministers summoned.
Iraqi media reports confirmed what sources had
previously told United Press International on
condition of anonymity: the dispute between the
Kurdistan Regional Government and the national
government over KRG oil deals is striking a chord in
Baghdad.
Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani and KRG Natural
Resources Minister Ashti Hawrami have both been
called to answer questions about the countries oil
secotr, the Addustour newspaper reports.
Barham Salih, the country's deputy prime minister, a
Kurd, the head of the cabinet's energy committee,
will also attend the session. The date has not been
announced.
The Badr newspaper reports the main topic will be
the KRG's 20-some deals with foreign oil firms,
which Baghdad has called illegal.
The Kurdistan Alliance is a key part of the ruling
coalition government in Baghdad. Crossing the KRG on
these deals, then, was considered unlikely
considering such a power balance.
The Parliamentary hearing could be a change of heart
by Shiite and Sunni Arab politicians, who blame the
Kurds for stalling progress in the oil sector
specifically and politics in general. The Kurds,
likewise, return the blame.
They say the national oil law has been stuck for too
long, thus prompting them to start signing deals.
The oil law has been stalled for more than a year of
negotiations and political fighting over the extent
of federal control over the oil sector, the rights
to sign deals and exactly how much access foreign
firms will have to the currently nationalized oil
reserves of Iraq.
UPI
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