Tag Archives | Kurdistan News

The latest news from Kurdistan – security updates, reconstruction and more – brought to you by Iraq Business News.

Min. Falah Mustafa receives new US Consul

The new US Consul General in the Kurdistan Region, Mr. Joseph Pennington, met with Minister Falah Mustafa yesterday as part of his introductory meetings. He was accompanied by the outgoing Consul General, Mr. Paul Sutphin, and the Head of Political/Economic Section at the US Consulate General in Erbil, Mr. Stephen Gee. During their meeting, the […]

Kurdistan Seeks Cinema Revival

By Abdel Hamid Zebari for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Over the past two decades, the citizens of the Iraqi Kurdistan region have refrained from going to movie theaters. Some of these theaters, which succumbed to neglect, have been demolished […]

KRG Pres. Barzani meets French President

President Masoud Barzani met with French President François Hollande in Paris on Saturday. In their meeting at the Élysée Palace, President Hollande and President Barzani discussed bilateral relations between France and the Kurdistan Region, the Syrian crisis and the role of the Syrian Kurds, and the political situation in Iraq. Both sides hailed the rapid […]

KRG Approves GKP's Shaikan Development Plan

Gulf Keystone Petroleum has announced that the Field Development Plan for the Shaikan field, a "world class commercial discovery", is now approved. Todd F. Kozel (pictured), Chairman and CEO of Gulf Keystone, commented: "This is an historic moment in the evolution of the Company. Gulf Keystone is now fully permitted to commence production from the […]

Gazprom Considers More Work in Iraq

By John Lee. Gazprom has said that it is interested in working further in the oil and gas sector in Iraqi Kurdistan. Following a meeting in St. Petersburg between the Russian company's Chairman, Alexei Miller [Alexey Miller] (pictured), and KRG President Massoud Barzani, Gazprom issued a statement saying, "in particular, the parties discussed the progress […]

Italian NGO Promotes National Park Initiative

Minister Falah Mustafa received a delegation from Ev-K2-CNR, an Italian non-government organisation promoting studies in high-altitude disciplines, including environmental sciences, earth sciences and technological research, who were accompanied by the Head of Italian Consular Office in Erbil, Dr Simone De Santi. The team has visited the Kurdistan Region five times aimed at the creation of […]

Hungary to Establish Diplomatic Presence in Erbil

The new Hungarian Ambassador to Iraq, Mr. Tibor Tamari, visited the Kurdistan Region this week to meet with senior officials as following his appointment. Minister Falah Mustafa, Head of KRG Department of Foreign Relations, received the new ambassador, who has already presented his credentials to Baghdad, to discuss Hungarian engagement in Kurdistan on. Minister Mustafa […]

Iraqi Kurds Join Pro-Erdogan Protests

The square facing the Turkish consulate in the city of Erbil, the largest city in Iraq's Kurdistan region, had been experiencing over the past years demonstrations condemning the policies of the Turkish government headed by Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Things, however, have changed, and the square has begun seeing demonstrations in which participants hold photos of […]

EU High Rep. Ashton visits Kurdistan Region

The Kurdistan Region’s President and Prime Minister on Monday in Erbil met with the European Union’s foreign affairs chief, Catherine Ashton, on her first visit to the Region. The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission visited Erbil to discuss Iraq’s currently instability and the Kurdistan […]

KRG to Export Oil by New Pipeline ‘Very Soon’

By John Lee. Ashti Hawrami (pictured), the Natural Resources Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, said on Wednesday that Iraqi Kurdistan will start exporting crude oil by pipeline "very soon" after the completion of a new link to the Turkish border by the end of September. Bloomberg quotes the minister as saying that the pipeline to […]

KRG Struggles to Cope with Syrian Refugees

By Abdel Hamid Zebari for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. With the continuously deteriorating security and political situation in Syria, and the growing fighting between government and opposition forces, many Syrian citizens — particularly Syria's Kurds — have been forced […]

Barzani, McGurk Discuss Iraq, Syria

President Masoud Barzani met with US State Department senior advisor Brett McGurk to discuss the recent political developments in Iraq and in the wider region. Mr. McGurk lauded the recent rapprochement between the Erbil and Baghdad, including the visit to Erbil by Prime Minister Maliki and his meeting with President Barzani. He expressed US government’s […]