WASHINGTON,— Masrour Barzani, the caretaker Prime Minister of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Region, said Thursday that the Trump administration has expressed support for two recent energy agreements between the Kurdish authorities and American firms, signed earlier this week.
The outgoing premier Barzani spoke to reporters during an official visit to the U.S. capital. He described meetings with American officials as “encouraging,” particularly regarding oil and gas cooperation.
“We have received clear and strong support from the Trump administration,” Barzani said. “They are backing the energy agreements and our strategic relationship.”
On Monday, the Kurdistan Regional Government signed two contracts with U.S.-based oil companies WesternZagros and HKN. The deals were finalized without coordination with Iraq’s federal government, prompting backlash from Baghdad.
The Iraqi Ministry of Oil rejected the contracts in a statement issued Tuesday, calling them unauthorized. Legal experts and political observers in Iraq and Kurdistan questioned the legitimacy of the caretaker cabinet signing new long-term energy deals.
Barzani defended the move, saying the KRG has acted in the interest of the broader Iraqi economy. “These investments will contribute to stability and growth, not just in Kurdistan but for Iraq as a whole,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of ongoing U.S.-Kurdish cooperation and described his meeting with U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright as focused and constructive.
According to Barzani, the KRG delegation also held meetings on Capitol Hill and will continue consultations with American officials in the coming days.
“We see ourselves as a reliable partner of the United States in the region, especially in the fight against terrorism,” he said.
Srwa Abdulwahid, head of the New Generation Movement (Newey Nwê) bloc in the Iraqi Parliament, criticized the KRG’s actions. She stated that Barzani’s transitional government lacks the legal authority to sign binding contracts.
Despite mounting criticism, Barzani said the agreements will move forward, emphasizing that the KRG is responsible for managing its own affairs.
(With files from Agencies)
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