Kurdistan RegionG welcomes calls to settle oil contracts issue with Baghdad

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Kurdistan Regional Government Kurdistan RegionG) has welcomed called by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to settle the issue of oil contracts, saying it is ready to pump 100,000 barrels of oil a day and give their revenues to the National Oil Company. In a statement received by IraqiNews.com news agency, the regional government stressed that oil revenues in the northern region should be used for the benefit of the whole Iraqi people. On Jan. 3, 2010, Maliki told media sources that it was the right time to discuss the issue of oil contracts with the Kurdistan government in a way that protects the rights and interests of the parties involved. The regional government had signed more than 30 contracts with international oil companies despite the central government’s opposition. SS (P) 2