The latest news from Kurdistan – security updates, reconstruction and more – brought to you by Iraq Business News.
This article was originally published by Niqash. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Dire Straits: Baghdad’s Financial Blockade Of Iraqi Kurdistan Has Desired Effect Since the beginning of the year the authorities in Baghdad and Iraqi Kurdistan have had a financial stand off. […]
By John Lee. The United States is reported to be planning to build three new military bases in Iraqi Kurdistan. According to BASnews, one of the bases would be in Erbil, another at Hareer military base north of Erbil, and a third Atrush, close to Dohuk. The Atrush base would be used for Apache helicopters. […]
Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani welcomed German defense minister Ursula von der Leyen in Erbil on Thursday. In a meeting with President Barzani and the military leadership of the KRG, the German defense minister stated that her country stands by the people of Kurdistan in the fight against ISIS terrorists and commended the role of […]
By John Lee. Reuters reports that Iraqi Kurdistan has shipped a total of nineteen tankers carrying 13.7 million barrels of crude oil since May, using its new pipeline to the Turkish port of Ceyhan. An official told the news agency that the flow of oil continues without any issues, and a 20th tanker will be […]
Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani received Mr Frank Baker OBE on Tuesday, an old friend of the Kurds and the UK's new ambassador to Iraq. Mr Baker visited Kurdistan at the beginning of his appointment as ambassador. He expressed his pleasure to be back in Erbil and to see Prime Minister Barzani. He said that he […]
Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani today received Mr Tan Banglin, envoy from China's Foreign Ministry appointed to be the first Chinese consul general in the Kurdistan Region. Mr Banglin said that he was very pleased to visit the Kurdistan Region, stating that he has arrived in the Region during this difficult time to express China’s solidarity […]
The Foreign Minister of Belarus, Mr Vladimir Makei, arrived in the Kurdistan Region yesterday to strengthen bilateral relations and sign a memorandum of understanding. Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, and senior KRG officials received the Foreign Minister and his delegation. In the meeting, both sides exchanged views on bolstering relations and […]
By John Lee. The Kurdistan Region of Iraq has exported more than 14 million barrels of oil from its independent oil pipelines to Turkey in the last nine months, according to a report from BasNews. A spokesman for the KRG's Natural Resources Committee told the news agency that the exports have brought in over 1 […]
By John Lee. In its interim results on Wednesday, Petroceltic gave an update on its operations in Iraqi Kurdistan. The company, along with Hess (as operator) has been active in the Kurdistan Region since 2011 when the Shakrok and Dinarta blocks were awarded with Petroceltic holding a 16% interest in each. Activity for the first […]
Mr Miroslav Dosek, Head of Middle East and North Africa section of the World Economic Forum (WEF), visited the KRG Department of Foreign Relations to discuss economic developments in Kurdistan as well as the current security and humanitarian situation. Mr Dosek said, “The achievements and the success of the Kurdistan Region are very much lauded […]
By Patrick M Schmidt. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has welcomed forty German military advisors who will begin training Peshmerga security forces on weapons newly received from Germany. The advisors have previous experience training foreign militaries. The German military assistance package is valued at $92 million and is aimed to assist in their fight against […]
By John Lee. BasNews reports that the unemployment rate in Kurdistan has risen from 7 percent at the end of 2013 to 10 percent currently. The number unemployed is nearly 100,ooo, of which 52 percent are men. The increase has been blamed on the general economic situation in Iraqi Kurdistan, and on the sanctions that Baghdad […]
