Iraq's Kurdish region to allow federal oil flow via its pipeline

BAGHDAD, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region announced Tuesday that it will allow the Iraqi federal government to resume oil exports via its pipeline, citing the need for national unity amid regional turmoil.

"Given the extraordinary circumstances facing the country, and the responsibility we all share to get through this difficult chapter, we have decided to allow oil to flow through the Kurdistan Region's pipeline as soon as possible," Masrour Barzani, prime minister of Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), said on social media platform X.

The decision followed a statement from the Iraqi Presidency, which called for full cooperation between Baghdad and the KRG to restore oil exports.

In a statement, the Presidency described a sustainable oil export agreement as a "vital priority" that serves the country's supreme national interest, and urged parliament to avoid differences.

The move came as the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran starting Feb. 28 continues to disrupt navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which about 20 percent of the world's oil passes. Enditem