ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi said on Tuesday that neighboring Jordan wants to make a deals to import Kirkuk oil from the oil-rich Kirkuk province.
“Jordan wants, as it has wanted before, to import a small amount of oil from Iraq, typically from Kirkuk. It is also important for us to export Kirkuk oil. It is in the interest of Iraq. Jordan does not demand a high amount, but 10,000 barrels per day,” Abdul-Mahdi said during his weekly presser.
Baghdad and Amman have held several rounds of talks recently on developing economic and trade ties.
Abdul-Mahdi said he will meet top Jordanian officials soon to “complete negotiations” regarding the establishment of an industrial zone on their shared border.
“Jordan is an important country for Iraq,” he said.
Under the deal, Iraqi will sell oil to Jordan and in return will receive reduced tariffs on imports via Jordan’s Aqaba port.
Jordan’s King Abdullah visited Iraq in January, the first time in a decade. And Jordanian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Hala Zawati’s visited last week as the neighbours reinforce relations.
Abdul-Mahdi also discussed his government’s reform plans to lessen the dependence on oil revenues. The prime minister said his cabinet will facilitate foreign investment, but this will only begin after they officially receive the budget from the parliament. The parliament passed the 2019 budget last week.
“We intend really to liberate the Iraqi economy from its dependence on oil and our main target is to encourage investment – national and international investment,” Abdul-Mahdi explained.
Iraqi is in talks with the international community to use its oil “as an asset to develop main and important projects here in Iraq,” he added.