The Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Rosh Shaways [Rowsch Shaways], has asked government officials to stop threatening oil companies that are operating in Iraqi Kurdistan, according to Bloomberg.

“These statements will give a negative picture to investors and violate the state’s public policy of opening the economy and promoting investments in all fields,” Shaways said.

A spokesman for Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minster for Energy, Hussein al-Shahristani, said on Monday that Exxon won’t be allowed to participate in the next oil and gas bidding round because of its deals in the northern region.

(Source: Bloomberg)