The Deputy Prime Minister said, “We are in touch with these countries on a regular basis and have conveyed our concerns to the United Nations’ envoy in Iraq.”
Prime Minister Barzani said the Kurdistan Region’s priority preference is to reach agreement on issues with Baghdad, but if agreement is not possible it does not mean there are no other solutions. He said, “There are other solutions for sure, but the Region’s first preference is mutual agreement with Baghdad.”
He stated, “We hoped to see clearer initiatives from Iraq’s new prime minister and new oil minister towards resolving these issues. We still hope the issues will be settled. The Iraqi oil minister is expected to visit the Kurdistan Region, we are looking forwards to the meeting, and we will decide on the date to visit Baghdad after meeting with him.”
Prime Minister Barzani noted the Kurdistan Region could earn its full 17 percent share of national revenue by the end of 2015. He added the Kurdistan Region would meet the 11 percent share the Region was receiving from Baghdad through oil sales by March 2015.
He explained that Baghdad deducts national expenses applicable to the whole country, plus expenses for running the federal government, and then sends the Region’s share from the remaining balance.
He said the Peshmerga are part of national defense and therefore they should be included in national expenses and not covered from the Region’s budget. The Prime Minister also said Peshmerga forces are currently deployed to places where defending Kurdistan Region does not require their deployment, if they were not part of Iraq’s defense system.
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