Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (GOV.KRD) - The Kurdistan Parliament has confirmed Mr Masrour Barzani's appointment as Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), together with the ministerial cabinet.

Following his inauguration, Prime Minister Barzani vowed to make Kurdistan stronger, improve ties with Baghdad and diversify the region's economy.

The Prime Minister said: "After working since September 2018 to put together a truly inclusive government, my commitment now is to work together with every party and every part of our nation to build a strong KRG that serves the people, not the other way around. We cannot succeed in building a strong government if we allow petty divisions and small disagreements to drive us apart."

The Prime Minister called for further progress in developing a stable and constructive partnership with Iraq's federal government.

"Erbil and Baghdad both want security and prosperity, built on a foundation of mutual respect and cooperation," he said. "This will include securing our rightful share of government revenue, by settling once and for all the division of revenue formula that determines the annual budget allocation for Kurdistan."

Concerning Kurdistan's economy, Prime Minister Barzani highlighted the region's over-reliance on oil and gas, and promised to overhaul the public sector.

"We must ensure our government serves the people of Kurdistan in a fully transparent and accountable manner," he said. "This will include securing the public finances to pay down our debts, introducing regulatory reforms that allow businesses to thrive, attracting more foreign investment and enabling the development of new infrastructure."

The Prime Minister called on the international community to support Kurdistan's new government and its reform programme, while helping to protect the region's status as a haven for persecuted and displaced people.

"Today, around 1.25 million internally displaced people from elsewhere in Iraq live in Kurdistan, alongside almost 275,000 refugees from neighbouring countries,” he commented. "We hope our friends and allies will continue offering their support to Kurdistan, as we remain a haven of tolerance in an uncertain part of the world."
For more information about the KRG's new cabinet, visit https://gov.krd/government/the-cabinet/.

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By MOHAMMED HUSSEIN of Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. Published Friday, March 1st, 2019 SULAIMANIYA - The Trump administration's decision to re-impose sanctions on Iran has forced the Kurdistan region - like the rest of Iraq - into a difficult balancing act. The U.S. government has provided the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) with essential military and financial support; yet as a neighboring country, Iran has built long-term economic, security, and political ties that cannot be quickly or easily altered. One case in point came on Feb. 14, when the KRG Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) - under U.S. pressure - issued an order banning all exports of crude and fuel to Iran. A week later, the MNR issued a follow-up directive that clarified the earlier order was only meant to stop illicit smuggling; licensed refiners and permit holders could once again send trucks through KRG crossing points into Iran. Nazm Dabakh is the KRG's representative in Iran. (As an autonomous region, the KRG does not have a formal diplomatic presence in Tehran, but Dabakh essentially functions as an official emissary.) He spoke with Iraq Oil Report by phone about the state of Iran-KRG relations, the see-sawing orders from the MNR, and the challenges of diplomacy with Iran in the era of renewed U.S. sanctions. 

Mohammed Hussein: How do you see trade relations between the Iraqi Kurdistan region and Iran?

Nazm Dabakh: I think the current trade relations between Iraqi Kurdistan and Iran are fragile, weak, and unstable. Trade activities need guarantees, security, and normal exchange of money. Currently, none of these conditions exist.

MH: The volume of trade in both directions seems to be increasing. Why do you say the relations aren't stable? 

ND: Traders on both sides have a hard time exchanging money to U.S. dollars. They are suffering with very volatile money exchange rates. They also have issues transferring money. All these factors made their market unstable. However, trade and economic relations between Kurdistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran are still ongoing. We have always tried to get the Kurdistan region to organize its relations with Iran within the framework of the Iraqi federal government.

MH: Do you mean the Kurdistan region can’t have any special relations or commercial exchange with Iran, apart of what Baghdad has?

ND: Yes, Kurdistan’s relations have always been treated as part of the relations between Iraq and Iran. We are totally committed to Iraq’s foreign relation policy. It also complies with the agreements between Erbil and Baghdad. It is part of the bigger agreements Erbil and Baghdad have reached to put border crossings back under the control of thefederal government.  

MH: Sometimes the KRG's decisions are not stable regarding trade relations with Iran. Just this month, Kurdistan halted all oil exports to Iran, and then a week later issued another clarifying that all the refineries and companies that have proper permits are exempt from the export ban.

ND: I do not see it as instability in Kurdistan’s trade policy. In the first place, when the order of the export ban was issued, I said it was a temporary decision, and would not last for a long time. If Iraq does not stop its oil exports to Iran, why would we stop it? [Editor's note: The federal Oil Ministry says it stopped all export trucking to Iran before U.S. sanctions snapped back into effect in November 2018.]

MH: If Erbil organizes its relations based on Iraq’s foreign trade relations with Iran - and if Iraq has no such ban, as you say - why would Erbil ban the oil exports in the first place?

ND: The Kurdistan Regional Government has its own reason to ban the oil exports. It basically wanted to prevent oil smuggling. 
If you look at the second order, it clearly allows [exports from] all the refineries and companies that have work permits in Iraq and Kurdistan. Therefore, I can say that the export ban was as an effort to prevent oil smuggling.

MH: Do you think the second order, to exempt permitted refineries and companies from the export ban, was issued because of diplomatic contact between Kurdistan and Iran?

ND: No. I think it was purely based on Kurdistan’s interests. Why would you ban oil exports to Iran while the same exports are ongoing from all other places to Iran? Why should Kurdistan alone undermine its interests and trade relations? Meanwhile, preventing oil smuggling is also in favor of Kurdistan. So, I can say the both orders were issued based on Kurdistan’s interests, not anything else.

MH: You said that one reason behind the MNR's Feb. 14 order to ban exports was an effort to prevent smuggling. Are Iranian officials also concerned about smuggling? If so, what actions are being taken or proposed within Iran to combat this?

ND: I can talk only about the Kurdistan government's position, which is clearly against smuggling. The order to ban oil exports was aimed at preventing the trade of any smuggled oil.

https://www.iraqoilreport.com/news/qa-nazm-dabakh-krg-representative-to-iran-37587/

The tension in the southern provinces of Iraq and its impact on the border between Iraq and Iran has raised fears of the closure of the border between the two countries, including the border with the Kurdistan Region, as the relevant authorities in the provincial government the risks of those possibilities.

Sulaymaniyah Chamber of Commerce deputy Nozad Ghafoor said in a press statement that so far there is no possibility of closing the borders of the international region because of the tensions that occur in a number of Iraqi provinces.

But if tensions grow and continue, it is likely to raise concerns among neighboring countries and become a reason to close the border with Iraq and the region.

On the impact of the border closure in the region, the First Deputy of the Chamber of Commerce of Sulaymaniyah said in a press statement that because of the lack of infrastructure in the region and if Turkey and Iran to close the border with him, it means causing the suicide of the region.

He added that the region is now working on preparations for the construction of large complexes to store the needs, but these preparations did not come into force.

For his part, the representative of the regional government in Iran, Nazim Dabbagh said in a press statement that until the Iraqi government remains in power, the prospects of Iran to close the border with the region a few, adding that the closure of the border is not only at the request of the Iraqi government.

Dabbagh stressed that the tensions and complications in Iraq is an internal issue, pointing out that the issue of border closure is not easy because economically and living people will cause the creation of a major problem.

http://www.shafaaq.com/ar/Ar_NewsReader/48eebe6f-b8d4-4200-b24c-6c398a2f8851

ERBIL - The military confrontation between the Kurdish opposition armed group and the Islamic Republic of Iran does not resolve the issues between sides as much as diplomatic means do, the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) representative to Tehran Nazim Dabbagh said on Monday.

Speaking to BasNews, the Kurdish envoy hoped that the Kurdish sides continue their activities through diplomatic, political, social, and intellectual methods, urging them to avoid military conflict as it might ruin the security of the Kurdistan Region.

"Based on [our] experience, military conflicts do not help us get close to our goals as much as diplomatic means do," Dabbagh said. "Apart from the fact that such confrontations only please the enemies of Kurds, the Kurdistan Region and Islamic Republic of Iran, I have sometimes heard that the activities were denied to have been carried out by the political sides present in the Kurdistan Region."

Concerning the death penalties against the Kurdish activists in Iran, the Kurdish official explained to BasNews that it is part of the country's policies to ensure its national security.

"This happens in whole world, including the Kurdistan Region. For instance, if the Kurdistan Region feels there is an activity against its regional security, and arrests some people accused of the issues, how would the Kurdistan Region react to it, in your opinion?," Dabbagh argued.

ERBIL - It is not possible for Iran to be behind the demonstrations going on in southern pasts of Iraq as it does not serve Tehran's foreign policies, a Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) official said on Wednesday.  

Nazim Dabbagh, who also serves as the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) representative to Tehran, told BasNews that the current situation in Iraq "is not what the Islamic Republic favours".

"It actually is what the terrorist organization of Daesh seeks. Look how the Daesh's [terrorist] activities have increased in Iraq. Is Iran behind the Daesh's activities?," the PUK official argued, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State (IS).

He noted that any political tensions in Iraq affects Iran, as well since Iraq is a Shi'ite country.

Meanwhile, Sky News cited an Iraqi official who spoke on condition of anonymity, as saying that Tehran is indirectly behind the protests in Iraq.

"What Tehran has done is part of Iran's political blackmail on Iraq," the official told the news agency, referring to the Islamic Republic's cut-off of electricity used to be imported by Iraq.

The official believed that Iran wants to use the issue of the electricity as a political pressure card against Iraq as Tehran, according to the official, needs a consumption of 42,000 megawatts for domestic areas while it currently produces a total of 58,000 megawatts.

TEHRAN – Nazem Dabbagh, a representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), says the Islamic Republic of Iran’s policy towards the KRG has always been based on good relation and ethnical, cultural and racial commonalities, and predicted the relation would remain good in the future.

Visiting Iran News pavilion in the 23^rd Press and News Agencies Exhibition, Dabbagh reiterated that he has time and again said that Iran is more transparent and honest than other countries. He noted that from the day one, Iran has opposed the referendum in the region but it has also announced readiness to defend the rights of people in the region based on the Iraq Constitution and for the sake of unity in Iraq.

Dabbagh said that Iraqi Kurds will never forget Iran’s support against the atrocities of Saddam Regime as well as against the Daesh forces. He concluded that for Iraqi Kurds, Iran’s stand is different from others.

He went on to say that Iraqi Kurdistan referendum is a finished issue, adding that since Masoud Barzani has suspended the referendum, it is expected talks with the central government to begin soon.

He reiterated that if the Iraqi government sticks to its words and undertakings, people of the KRG will not pursue partition.

Dabbagh went on to say that the KRG officials did not mean partition by holding referendum, and it was just a sign of protest to the central government for injustice against Kurds. He reiterated that when a government does not fulfill its undertakings towards its people, it then should expect protests and reactions.

On the support of Israel from independence of Iraqi Kurdistan, he said it was just a propagation because there is no bond between Iraqi Kurdistan and Israel. He noted that most of the KRG’s officials were aware of the dangers of Israel’s support because several Arab countries like Egypt, Jordan or Qatar have embassies in Tel Aviv and such a support was aimed at creating rift.

On the future of leadership of the KRG, he said Masoud Bazani is a charismatic leader for Kurds in the region and it is not expected him to run for leadership after his term is over. He added that he would support a certain candidate or group which has not been revealed yet.

by : Mohammad lotfollahi

TEHRAN - Nazim Dabbagh, the representative of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Tehran, said on Saturday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed for the independence referendum in the KRG in order to achieve his own plots which is dividing up the regional countries.

“In fact, Netanyahu is seeking to escalate the situation and misuse it. In fact, he want to fish in troubled waters,” Dabbagh remarked.

Only Netanyahu backed independence referendum in the Iraqi Kurdistan which was ordered by KRG President Masoud Barzani.  The independence vote was held on September 25.

 “While some countries advised Mr. Barzani to not hold the referendum, there were also other states and persons who encourage referendum,” Dabbagh told the Mehr news agency while visiting the Tehran Press Exhibition.

“In my opinion some part of the blame is on Barzani’s aides,” Mr. Dabbagh noted.

When asked why Netanyahu supported the referendum and the establishment of an independent Kurdish state, he said “Netanyahu, from the very beginning, before the referendum was held, announced that he supports the formation of an independent Kurdish state and then on the day of the referendum said that he holds no position about the poll.”

 ‘Israel wants to fish in troubled waters”

“Four days later,” he added, “Netanyahu stated that the issue of Iraqi Kurdistan is of no relevance to Israel, but after the statement of Ayatollah Sistani and the position of the Iraqi government about holding talks over the issue were announced, he again returned to the field asking different countries to put pressure on the Iraqi government and prevent the central government from pressing the Kurdistan Regional Government.”

He also envisioned a drastic change in the political map of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region in the upcoming election in view of the developments that followed the referendum.

Elections for the regional presidency and parliament, initially scheduled for November 1, have been delayed by eight months.

“Bearing the recent developments in mind, the probability of change in political map of the Kurdistan Regional Government is high.

“In the next election we will witness a significant slide in the votes for Masoud Barzani and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, and maybe a new political movement gain the sway in the Iraqi Kurdistan.”

Dabbagh predicted that none of traditional partiers in Kurdistan would win the majority in the upcoming parliamentary election.