Future of Iraq-Turkey Pipeline Discussed in Ankara

A high-level Iraqi delegation visited Ankara on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss the future of the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline (ITP) and explore cooperation in oil exports and energy.Geographic Reference

According to Iraq's Ministry of Oil, the visit forms part of the Ministry's policy of diversifying crude oil export sources and expanding cooperation with neighbouring countries, under instructions from Minister of Oil Basim Muhammad Khudhair al-Abadi.

The delegation, jointly led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Oil, included several directors general from the Ministry of Oil and representatives from the Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Natural Resources. The Turkish side included officials and experts from the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.

Nasser Aziz, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil for Extraction Affairs, and Mohammed Hussein Bahr al-Uloum, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with Ambassador Majid al-Lajmawi, met with Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar to discuss bilateral energy cooperation and mechanisms to ensure the continuity of oil exports for the mutual benefit of both countries.

Following directions from Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, both sides affirmed the need for continued technical and legal coordination, with a view to signing an executive protocol in the coming period to guarantee the continuation of Iraqi oil exports, including from the Kurdistan Region. It is hoped the protocol will serve as a transitional step towards a new agreement between the two countries, to be concluded within one year of the expiry of the current agreement.