Iraq is witnessing unprecedented stability and openness to everyone
The head of the National State Forces Alliance, Mr. Ammar Al Hakim, confirmed today, Saturday, that Iraq today is experiencing an unprecedented state of security, political and social stability, noting that this stability represents a great achievement for the country in light of the challenges it has gone through.
In a statement issued by his media office, received by {Al Furat News}, Mr. Al Hakim stated that “the Iraqi community in the United States of America was the focus of a meeting he held with a delegation from the community headed by Martin Manna, head of the Chaldean Association in Michigan, where the meeting discussed the situation of the Iraqi community in America and the developments in the political situation in Iraq and the region.”
Mr. Al-Hakim also reiterated his “emphasis that Christians constitute a qualitative addition to Iraqi society,” stressing “the importance of managing diversity in Iraq and investing in Iraqi components as bridges of communication between Iraq and the countries of the region.”
The head of the National State Forces Alliance also stressed “the necessity of moderation and centrism,” noting that “Iraq’s interest lies in containing and opening up to everyone, with the importance of giving priority to the public interest in facing challenges.”
He pointed out that “Iraq succeeded in dealing with crises thanks to the coordination between the religious authority and the government and the cooperation of the Iraqi people.”
Central Bank of Iraq sales exceed $1 billion last week
The Central Bank of Iraq’s sales of hard currency in US dollars amounted to more than one billion dollars during the days in which it opened its auction last week.
Shafaq News Agency correspondent stated that the Central Bank sold during the past week, and during the 5 days in which the auction was opened, an amount of 1 billion, 456 million, 844 thousand, and 61 dollars, at a daily rate of 291 million, 368 thousand, and 812 dollars, which is a slight decrease from the previous week, when the selling rate was 293 million, 719 thousand, and 775 dollars.
He also pointed out that the highest dollar sales were on Monday, amounting to $298,486,800, while the lowest sales were on Tuesday, amounting to $286,030,709.
As for foreign remittance sales, they amounted to 1 billion, 383 million, 294 thousand and 61 dollars last week, compared to cash sales that amounted to 75 million, 550 thousand dollars.
Iraq reveals its official position on threats of imposing sanctions due to Kurdistan Region’s oil exports
The Iraqi government denied, on Saturday, the veracity of media reports that circulated American threats to impose sanctions on Iraq in the event that oil exports from the Kurdistan Region are not resumed. Farhad Alaeddin, the foreign affairs advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister, confirmed in a statement to Reuters that “there is no truth to the reports alleging American threats to impose sanctions on Iraq,” noting that all talks with the US administration did not include any kind of pressure or threats against Iraq.
On Friday, Reuters published a report that spoke of increasing American pressure on the Iraqi government regarding the speedy resumption of the export of Kurdistan Region oil via the Turkish Ceyhan pipeline.
According to sources who spoke to the agency, these pressures were the main incentive behind the Iraqi Oil Minister’s announcement last Monday of his intention to resume exports next week.
During his meeting with the President of the Region… Al-Sudani calls for accelerating the resumption of Kurdistan’s oil production and export
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani stressed, during his meeting today, Saturday, with the President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, the need to expedite the resumption of the production and export of Kurdistan oil through the port of Ceyhan.
Al-Sudani’s media office said in a statement received by Shafak News Agency that the Prime Minister received today the President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, where they discussed the most important files and topics at the national level, and followed up on the implementation of the government program in various sectors and fields.
The Prime Minister pointed out the importance of proceeding with the implementation of joint agreements, especially in light of the House of Representatives passing the latest amendment to the Federal General Budget Law, in a way that serves the national interest, strengthens the Iraqi economy and meets the requirements of our people, stressing the need to expedite the start of oil companies in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to resume oil production and re-export it through the Turkish port of Ceyhan.
For his part, President Barzani stressed the continuation of communication and cooperation with the federal government for high coordination in all service and economic aspects, within the framework of development, providing services and consolidating stability.
Today, the Iraqi government denied media reports that “claimed” that the United States threatened to impose sanctions on Iraq if oil exports from the Kurdistan Region were not resumed.
Reuters published a report yesterday, Friday, stating that there is American pressure exerted by the administration of President Donald Trump on the Iraqi government to expedite the resumption of the export of oil from the Kurdistan Region via the Turkish Ceyhan pipeline, or face economic sanctions as is happening with Iran.
Reuters quoted eight sources in Baghdad, Washington and Erbil, who have direct knowledge of the issue, as saying that “increasing pressure from the new US administration was a major driver behind the Iraqi oil minister’s announcement last Monday that exports from the region would resume next week.”
America is exploiting Iraq’s money in the Federal Bank to undermine its sovereignty
The leader of the Coordination Framework, Salam al-Zubaidi, confirmed today, Saturday, that the United States is exerting security and political pressure
on Iraq in a number of files, including oil, and undermining its sovereignty through the money it deposits in the US Federal Bank. Al-Zubaidi said in an interview with /Al-Maalouma/ agency, that “America is exerting pressure on Iraq politically and security-wise, while Iraq has sovereignty and decisions that must be respected by everyone,” indicating that “exporting oil is an internal matter that does not concern the United States, even if the money from Iraqi exports goes to the US Federal Reserve, which undermines Iraq’s sovereignty in this matter.”
He added that “re-exporting oil from the Kurdistan Region is an internal matter that concerns the federal government and the Ministry of Oil, and there are many pending files between Erbil and Baghdad in addition to the decision of an international court issued in Paris due to violations committed by the Kurdish side,” noting that “during the visit of the President of the Region, Nechirvan Barzani, to Baghdad, it was agreed to remove obstacles and eliminate crises.”
He pointed out that “the American pressure should be on the region and not on Baghdad, considering that Erbil is the one that has problems in this issue, but for Washington to come and impose decisions on Baghdad is not correct.”
It is noteworthy that international reports revealed that the United States threatened to impose sanctions on Iraq unless Baghdad allowed the resumption of oil exports from the Kurdistan region despite the political and technical problems in this file.
