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Issue of agreements between Rosneft and Iraqi Kurdistan resolved, says deputy minister

Official Baghdad opposed the signing of these agreements directly with the government of Iraqi Kurdistan instead of with the central government

© Yegor Aleyev/TASS

MOSCOW, September 10. /TASS/. Moscow and Baghdad resolved issues related to contracts concluded by Rosneft and Iraqi Kurdistan, Deputy Foreign Minister Muayad Salih told TASS on Tuesday.

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Rosneft plans geological explorations in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2019

"The tension has been removed, today we have no questions left that we should talk about. Everything has been settled," he said.

In 2017-2018, Rosneft and the government of Iraqi Kurdistan signed a number of agreements on cooperation in the field of exploration and production of hydrocarbons. In particular, the parties inked a production sharing agreement (PSA) regarding five blocks located in Iraqi Kurdistan — Batil, Zawita, Qasrok, Harir-Bejil and Darato. The Russian company is the operator of projects with an 80-percent interest in the production sharing agreements.

The federal administration in Baghdad opposed the signing of these agreements directly with the government of Iraqi Kurdistan, since, in accordance with the constitution, such agreements should be concluded with the central government.

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