Iraq and Turkey begin negotiations on framework agreement for cooperation in oil and gas

Baghdad - Al-Wasat Iraqi newspaper 

Iraq's Oil Minister Basim Muhammad Khudair al-Abadi and Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alp Arslan Bayraktar announced today, Friday, the start of negotiations on a framework agreement for cooperation in oil and gas.

A statement from the Ministry of Oil, received by Al-Wasat Iraqi newspaper, said that "Oil Minister Basim Muhammad Khudair al-Abadi led the Iraqi delegation at the expanded meeting to begin negotiations on the framework agreement with Turkey on cooperation in the fields of oil and gas, which was held in Ankara, while the Turkish side was chaired by the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alp Arslan Bayraktar."

The statement added that "the meeting discussed the proposed roadmap to enhance bilateral cooperation in developing the infrastructure of the oil and gas sectors, the petrochemical industry, and the trade of oil, gas and energy, in addition to exploring ways to develop working frameworks and joint coordination to serve the shared interests of the two countries."

The statement affirmed that "the inaugural meeting aims to launch negotiations on the framework agreement between the Republic of Iraq and the Republic of Turkey, and to set foundations for joint cooperation and expand partnership areas in the sectors of 'oil, gas and energy.'"

The statement concluded that "the Iraqi delegation included the Undersecretary for Extraction Affairs Nasir Aziz Jabbar and the directors general of the companies 'Oil Marketing, North Oil, Oil Projects, and Oil Pipelines', as well as the directors general of the departments 'Economic, Legal, Contracts and Petroleum Licensing.'"