Iraqi Kurds Brush Off Baghdad Government Nullifying Oil Deals

AMMAN -(Dow Jones)- The Kurdistan Regional Government Sunday brushed off a statement by Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahristani in which he declared all oil contracts signed by the Kurdish regional authorities with foreign companies null and void.

“By stating that, al-Shahristani has gone beyond his powers and size,” KRG spokesman Jamal Abdullah said in statement published on the KRG Web site.


The KRG has signed 15 oil and gas exploration and exportation contracts with 20 international companies since it passed its own oil law in August, angering the Baghdad government.

Al-Shahristani has in recent weeks angrily denounced the Kurdish authorities for signing the contracts before the national parliament approves a new oil and gas law, declaring them “illegal” and saying the foreign companies who signed these deals would be blacklisted by the Baghdad government.

“Shahristani should file his case to the federal court specialized on solving disputes among Iraqi regions, rather than issuing press statement,” the KRG spokesman said.

Dow Jones Newswire