Iraq: Al-Zaydi and Barzani reach agreements on Kurdistan salaries and budget

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaydi and Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani have reached understandings in Baghdad to ensure the continued payment of salaries for Kurdistan region employees and to organize other financial entitlements.

The discussions addressed five key outstanding issues: the management of oil fields, the regulation of oil and non-oil revenues, the guarantee of regional salaries, Kurdistan's share in the 2027 federal budget, and the acceleration of oil and gas legislation. Both parties emphasized the constitutional rights of the Kurdistan region and made progress toward allocating a single budget for the region.

Regarding energy, the leaders agreed to coordinate oil policies to increase national production. The Iraqi government aims to reach 7 million barrels per day by 2030 and 10 million barrels per day by 2032, which includes the approximately 1 million barrels per day produced in Kurdistan fields. Additionally, both sides condemned a recent attack on the Kormor gas field and stressed the necessity of protecting economic infrastructure.