At a Glance

• A high-level Iraqi federal delegation will arrive in the Kurdistan Region today.

• The high-level summit aims to resolve outstanding shared files and improve bilateral cooperation.

• Senior finance, coordination, and advisory officials from both governments are attending the talks.

A senior Iraqi federal delegation will arrive in the Kurdistan Region to meet Kurdistan Regional Government officials for a high level summit aimed at resolving outstanding files between Baghdad and Erbil.

Key Statements and Focus Area

• The KRG Department of Media and Information announced that “the delegation will be received in Zakho by Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government.”

• The KRG department noted that the meeting “aims to foster greater cooperation and reach a better understanding regarding shared files between both governments.”

In a statement issued Sunday, the Department of Media and Information announced that the incoming federal delegation will be led by Mohsen Mandalawi, Deputy Federal Prime Minister for Energy Affairs.

The high-level group will also include Oil Minister Basim Muhammad, Electricity Minister Ali Saadi, and several senior officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Board of Advisors. 

Following its arrival, the visiting delegation will hold talks with the KRG negotiating team, led by Acting Minister of Natural Resources Kamal Muhammad and Diwan President Omed Sabah.

The KRG team also includes Department of Coordination and Follow-up Head Dr. Abdulhakim Khusraw, Natural Resources Undersecretary Ahmed Mufti, and senior Ministry of Finance officials.

FYI

A high-level Kurdistan Regional Government delegation visited Baghdad on Friday to resume negotiations with the Federal Ministry of Finance regarding financial entitlements and oil obligations for the upcoming 2027 Iraqi general budget. 

Organized in coordination with Kurdish representatives in the federal authorities, the official sessions focused on reaching a mutual understanding regarding the region's financial entitlements and its share of the federal budget.

Out of a 217 trillion dinar draft budget, the Kurdistan Region's 12.70% share amounts to 13 trillion dinars after accounting for sovereign expenses, though the delegation will negotiate Article 10 to align this figure with the Region's 14.14% population share from the 2024 census. 

Additionally, the negotiators will address a gap in energy expectations, as the draft requires the Region to export 400,000 barrels of oil per day despite its current production capacity being limited to 300,000 barrels per day.

The KRG has consistently requested revisions to federal budget allocations, calling for amendments to the national budget law to cover regional oil production costs and ensure stable public sector salary payments. 

Additionally, the Iraqi Council of Ministers voted to send the draft budget back to the Ministry of Finance in mid-October 2026, just as the statutory October 15 deadline for parliamentary submission was being reached.

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