About the concern of oil of Kurdistan Region and its policies concerning the oil Asia Press had an interview of which main points follow:

Relating how to commence the oil works Dabbagh said at the time of Saddam Hussein there was only one active oil center in Kurdistan and for some reasons he blocked all oil wells of Kurdistan Region by concrete. After his withdraw Kurdish activists reopened them by exploding the concrete and tried oil economy enjoyed good advances.

In a response to a question about being obedient of Kurdistan Region to Iraq codes while stating the ups and downs of the relations between KRG and central government. Dabbagh Said: we considered the constitution of Iraq according which we could provide the budget of the Region. When the Iraq government cut the budget of the Region, before that we have come to conclusion to export the oil through the present oil pipes stretching from Kurdistan to Turkey and this way the production of oil will reach 550 thousand barrels a day. Today the oil map of the world has laid on Kurdistan Region and Kurdistan of Iraq will draw this map. In addition dealing with the potentials of Iran to import oil from Kurdistan specially to export oil to Kermanshah and its being delivered in another place Dabbagh said they to export oil they are joined to Jeyhan port in Turkey and we export 200 thousand oil barrels through this way. He added; in my opinion the policy come from the oil pipelines and now if we could not export oil to the world we would not have this place. Presently we are observing the descendant of the oil price from $100 to $60 we witness that policy has entered it. There is no world war not export oil.

After explicitly stating that in oil policy we are obedient to the Region interests Dabbagh said: according to the constitution of Iraq we work, those cases I primarily mentioned relate to the Iraq government. According to this we decide and never interfere, therefore if we have an independent government we will talk then what policy should we take to Russia, USA or even Iran.  

About the outcome of Erbil-Baghdad in recent days he said: we have come to an agreement to continue this bilateral negotiation. At the beginning we will export 250 thousand oil barrels from the Region as well as 350 thousand from Kirkuk. In addition $1 billion dollars from oil income has been assigned to Pishmerga forces to defend till devote one of its actions to preserve oil fields. 

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, (KRG.org) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, yesterday visited the Peshmerga forces, fighting against the Islamic State terrorist organization, known as ISIS, on the West side of River Tigris in Sihailah and Zummar frontline.

In a meeting with the military commanders and officers of the two sectors of the front, Prime Minister Barzani was briefed and updated on the latest military developments on the front, the continuous advances of Peshmerga forces and their recent victories in repelling ISIS terrorists. He also followed up the Peshmerga forces’ needs and logistics in the battlefront.

The meeting was followed by a visit by Prime Minister Barzani to the town of Zummar, where he visited the local branch offices of both the Kurdistan Democratic Party and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the only two Kurdish political parties who returned to their offices in Zummar after the liberation of the town from ISIS terrorists, earlier last month.

The Prime Minister met both parties’ officials and discussed the situation in the area, the ways to ensure the return of the displaced people to the town and the provision of basic services, particularly electricity power. The Prime Minister stressed that he will urge the relevant authorities to resolve these issues, as soon as possible, to ensure the return of all public services to the area.

Prime Minister Barzani also visited the main office of Nineveh Oil Board and the Northern Oil Company in Ain Zala, meeting the directors and supervisors of both the board and the company.

They discussed the situation in the area, the nature of the work, and the importance of protecting such infrastructure following its liberation from ISIS terrorists.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, (gov.krd) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, yesterday visited the recently liberated town of Sinoun and Sheikh Sharaffadin Shrine on Sinjar Mountain.

Meeting members of the Kurdish Yezidi community in the area and commanders of the battlefront, fighting against the Islamic State terrorist organisation, known as ISIS, Prime Minister Barzani was briefed on the latest developments and the situation in the recently liberated areas, the process of the return of the displaced families to their homes and the provision of basic public services in the town. Prime Minister Barzani stressed that Kurdistan Regional Government will dispatch special teams to the area in order to assess its basic needs.

Prime Minister Barzani hailed the role of the commanders and the Yezidi Peshmerga forces for their resilience and confronting ISIS from the beginning of the attacks by this terrorist organisation.

Visiting Sheikh Sharaffadin Shrine, Prime Minister Barzani told the press, “The aim of our visit to the Shrine of Sheikh Sharaffadin and meeting these brave fighters who have been resisting for months, is first to express the KRG’s gratitude for their resilience and sacrifice in defending Sinjar Mountain; and secondly, to send a message to our beloved Yizidi sisters and brothers, that the KRG respects your community and understands your deep distress. However, thanks to God and due to the resilience and the hard work of these brave fighters this entire area has been liberated from ISIS terrorists.”

The Prime Minster pointed out that together with local administrative officials they have discussed the necessary steps to be taken in order to reconstruct and reintroduce basic public services. He said, “We hope to make all the necessary services available after the complete liberation of the town of Sinjar that would allow the return of life to the region and the displaced people to their homes.”

Regarding compensations for the region, the Prime Minister said, “The KRG committees will visit the area and we will do our best in compensating the people of the region and helping them to return to their homes.”

Regarding possible international recognition of the atrocities committed by ISIS against Yezidi Kurds in Sinjar as genocide, Prime Minister Barzani said, “For this purpose, we have formed a commission, where two KRG ministers are among the members as well as eye witnesses. We believe that what happened to the Yezidis is genocide, and the government will spare no effort in helping that the crimes committed against the Yezidi Kurds be internationally recognised as genocide.”

Regarding the advance of the Peshmerga forces towards Sinjar, Prime Minister Barzani said, “Liberating Sinjar town was not in the plan of the recent operation, started later last month. It targeted only the liberation of Sinjar Mountain, Sinoun town and the surrounding areas. Now, Peshmerga forces look at Sinjar as their next step. When the military commanders deem the time has come, the operation of complete liberation of Sinjar will be launched.”

He also reassured the Yezidi community that the KRG “continues to exert great efforts to free the Yezidi women and young girls, abducted by ISIS terrorists. However, the plans cannot be disclosed to the media.”

Sheikh Ismaiel, Yezidi religious dignitary in Sheikh Sharaffadin Shrine, considered Prime Minister Barzani’s visit to the shrine as visiting the homes of the entire Yezidi community.

He said that since the main route to the mountain has been freed, humanitarian relief starts to reach the displaced Yezidis.

He said, “Our main request will be to free the abducted Yezidi women from the hands of ISIS terrorists. We would also like to create a province for Sinjar, attached to the Kurdistan Region, and linking Sinjar’s electricity grid to Kurdistan Region, which is currently dependent on Mosul.”

Qasim Shesho, one of the Yezidi commanders who stayed in the mountain and fought against the ISIS terrorists, considered President Massoud Barzani and Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani’s visit to the region as historical.

He said, “We want to tell those who were saying that Peshmerga forces did not assume their duty in Sinjar when ISIS attacked, that it is with the Peshmarga sacrifices and blood that the route to the mountain has been freed.”

Responding to the statements reportedly calling to create an independent Region for Sinjar, Qasim Shesho said these statements are against the will and desire of the people of the town. We are and will remain part of Kurdistan, but we ask the Prime Minister to create a province for Sinjar.”

Prime Minister Barzani also met the military commanders and officers who stayed on the mountain from the early days of ISIS attacks and protected the mountain, the displaced Yezidi Kurds and the Shrine. He was briefed on the latest military developments and the Peshmerga forces military operations.

Washington DC, USA (www.dfr.gov.krd) - Falah Mustafa Bakir, Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, called on Brett McGurk of the State Department and several senators and congressmen to introduce the new Kurdistan Regional Government Representative to the United States, Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman.

The Minister is in Washington as Ms Abdul Rahman assumes her post as Representative to update Administration officials, congressmen and the media on the peshmerga's advances against ISIS (the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham)‎ and the need for heavy weapons and humanitarian aid.

The Minister ‎and Representative met Mr McGurk, who is Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs at the State Department, on Tuesday. They thanked him for his support for Kurdistan and Iraq and for the warm welcome with which he received them.

Minister Bakir said, 'We thank the United States for stepping in to assist Kurdistan in 1991, for liberating Iraq in 2003 and then for proving to be our friends again in 2014 when your air strikes boosted the morale of our people and peshmerga against ISIS.'

Ms Abdul Rahman said she looked forward to working with Mr McGurk at this critical time in the US-Kurdistan relationship when they are fighting ISIS terrorists together.

Mr McGurk agreed that the United States and Kurdistan were in a strategic partnership that benefited both sides. He and the KRG delegation discussed the military needs of the peshmerga, who are spearheading the fight against ISIS, and the humanitarian crisis in Kurdistan and Iraq. Both sides welcomed the atmosphere of cooperation between Erbil and Baghdad.

Yesterday, the KRG delegation met senior members of congress, including Senator Bob Corker who chairs the Senate Foreign ‎Relations Committee and represents Tennessee which hosts the largest Kurdish community in the United States. They discussed the situation in Kurdistan, Iraq and Syria, what further assistance the United States could provide to the peshmerga, and the protection of Iraq's minorities who have found a safe haven in  Kurdistan.

Similar discussions were held with Congressman Devin Nunes, chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, Senator Tim Kaine, who sits on various committees, and Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen who heads the defence sub-committee of the Appropriations Committee.

Minister Bakir and Ms Abdul Rahman also held discussions with Congressman Gerry Connolly and separately Congressman Dana Rohrabacher who are longtime friends of Kurdistan.

Tehran- IRNA- Nazem Dabbagh the representative of KRG of Iraq in Iran on the side of 20^th of publications exhibition in Tehran deemed tribalism as generated by the west and said: Muslims must reform their religious thoughts to prevent from separation try not to be affected by unconstructive propaganda of the west. Insisting on changing the attitudes by Muslims and put aside minor differences he said: Shia, Sunni and Kurds all must defend the border of Iraq.

Appreciating I.R. of Iran’s helps and his good cooperation with Iraq in all fields including information transmission Dabbagh added: the representative of Iranian Medias in Erbil in the north of Iraq has close collaboration with Kurdistan Region.

He added: in Kurdistan of Iraq 21 newspapers are being published which all cover the invasion and the recent defeats of ISIS very well. He described the level of relations between Kurdsitan Region of Iraq and Iran as high and hopped this would go on in the future.

The KRG Department of Foreign Relations strongly condemns the horrific shootings on the Charlie Hebdo Magazine office in Paris that claimed 12 lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this terrorist attack. We stand with the people of France and offer them the sympathy of the people of Kurdistan at this difficult time.

Such attacks can only strengthen our commitment to vigorously uphold and defend the values of freedom of speech and to continue the fight against terrorism. These kinds of attacks remind us of that members of the international community should stand shoulder to shoulder in the fight against terrorists who threaten the values of democracy, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence. The Kurdistan Peshmerga Forces are at the forefront of the fight against terrorism. The fight against extremism must continue relentlessly.

Once again, we express our condolences to the families of those killed in Paris.

Mizan News Agency: the representative of KRG of Iraq in Iran deemed our country’s helps greatly influential and in time and said: the majority of these helps were logistical and consultative on the behalf of Sepah Pasdaran. Nazem Dabbagh in a talk with political reporter of Mizan relating to the role of the new government of Iraq about fighting ISIS stated: the new government of Iraq regarding the useful and on time moves in recent weeks has expressed its ability to solve the problems and concerns specially fighting ISIS.

He added: undoubtedly the formation of a comprehensive and cooperative government in Iraq is beneficial to all tribal and political groups in Iraq, and this can help all groups getting involved in fighting ISIS. He continued that: the government of authorities of Turkey has not got any definite and specific definition of ISIS, and as of a yet has not taken any stable and useful position about it.

Dabbagh added that the field changes in Kurdish regions of Kubani are getting better and said: in recent days up to 100 villages around Kubani have been swept out of terrorists which represents their weaknesses and withdraw from Kubani.

Nazem Dabbagh emphasized: this is only Iraqis that can construct their fortune and thus to form a coalition to fight terrorists in Iraq without them is nonsense. He considered former government’s mismanagement of Iraq in the field of policy and security as the current situation and added: presently more than one third of Iraq is taken under ISIS’s control representing the depth of the former government inefficiency. At last the representative of Kurdistan region of Iraq in Iran again deemed Iran’s role so decisive and on time and appreciated as mentioning other countries’ helps to Iraq to fight ISIS.

The News Pavilion of ILNA in Medias Exhibition hosted Nazem Omar Dabbagh the representative of KRG of Iraq in Iran. Visiting ILNA NEWS pavilion in Media Exhibition, Nazem Dabbagh in a talk with ILNA reporter stated the most recent details of Kurdistan region and the position of Pishmerga in Kubani. Mr Dabbagh also mentioned Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani’s phrases concerning extravagances of a number of Shia as one of the causes of ISIS to be formed.