ERBIL (Kurdistan Chronicle) — The United States is encouraged by the recent progress in the dialogues between the regional government of Kurdistan and federal government of Iraq following a former’s recent visit to Baghdad, said US top diplomat in Iraq. 

“Encouraging successful visit by the Kurdistan Regional Government delegation to Baghdad for talks with the Iraqi government on budget and hydrocarbons,” Ambassador Alina Romanowski wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. 

A delegation from the Kurdistan Region, headed by minister of finance and economy, visited Baghdad last Sunday and announced that they had reached an agreement to form a joint committee to draft the federal oil and gas bill as it is required by the Constitution of Iraq. 

Passage of an oil and gas law is hoped to address the many prolonged disputes between Erbil and Baghdad, and ultimately help the sides to work for an energy sector independent form other countries. 

“Resolution of these long-standing issues serves the Iraqi national interest and contributes to energy independence and regional stability,” Ambassador Romanowski added. 

The Kurdistan Region delegation arrived in the Iraqi capital last Sunday for the second visit in the past two weeks. 

KRG Spokesperson Jotiar Adil said last Thursday that Erbil and Baghdad had also reached an initial agreement on the 2023 budget law. However, he noted that additional negotiations would be needed to address technical differences. 

Disputes over oil exports by the Kurdistan Region further deepened after Iraq’s Supreme Federal Court in February 2022 deemed it unconstitutional and called for Iraqi Federal Government’s full control over Kurdistan Region’s oilfields. 

However, the Kurds condemned the ruling and called it a “politically motivated decision” that harms the relations between Erbil and Baghdad.