Iraq’s oil ministry has called for a new meeting to discuss the resumption of oil exports through the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline after talks appeared to collapse in late March (MEES, 4 April). In a 4 April statement the ministry said that a 28 March statement by Apikur, a body representing Kurdistan IOCs, was “false and misleading.” Apikur had said that the ministry’s actions were “not acceptable,” and that its members would only resume exports if their contracts are honored and that surety of payment is provided for past and future exports.
While calling for new talks, the ministry’s criticism of its counterparts will do little to ease relations. It says that while the Iraqi government has “taken concrete and serious steps to demonstrate its good faith in negotiations” the other parties have taken “negative steps…every time progress is made.” (CONTINUED - 139 WORDS)