Baghdad-Erbil oil deal strained by disappointing April payment

ERBIL - Iraqi Oil Minister Adil Abd al-Mahdi travelled to Erbil Wednesday in an apparent attempt to salvage a cooperative oil export and revenue sharing agreement, after the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) raised objections to a smaller-than-expected April budget payment.

KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani expressed strong dissatisfaction after Baghdad's monthly budget transfer fell to just 488.7 billion Iraqi dinars ($407.25 million*) for April – a month when Kurdistan's contribution to federal exports increased steeply. He chaired a joint meeting Wednesday with the KRG Cabinet and senior lawmakers representing the KRG in the federal Parliament to outline the KRG's position.