KTFA:

Don061:  An "anticipated agreement" between Baghdad and Erbil

Wednesday 09 September 2020

Baghdad: Al-Sabah, Erbil: Sundus Abdel-Wahab

It is likely that the governments of Baghdad and Erbil will reach a "semi-final agreement" regarding the pending issues between the two parties, in light of the presence of international mediation to bring the views closer.

Yesterday, Tuesday, a Kurdish delegation headed by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan government Qubad Talabani arrived in Baghdad, and met with Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi to discuss strengthening cooperation between state institutions and working in a team spirit that stems from a common vision to achieve the requirements and interests of the Iraqi people in general. 

Al-Kazemi stressed, according to the statement of his media office, the need for full coordination between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government in various fields, in order to address the great challenges facing the country as a result of the decline in global oil prices, and contribute to confronting the repercussions of the Corona pandemic.

The region’s delegation had held its first meeting with a high-ranking delegation from the federal government headed by Finance Minister Ali Allawi. 

During the meeting, it was decided to form specialized and subsidiary committees to intensify discussions on issues (oil and gas, financial dues, electricity, border crossings, and debts).

The spokesman for the Deputy Prime Minister in the Kurdistan region, Samir Hawrami, said to “Al-Sabah”:

“The Kurdistan Regional Government has shown its willingness to agree with the federal government regarding the files of oil and non-oil revenues, and the revenues of border crossings.”

He adds that "the discussions with the federal government are continuing to resolve the outstanding issues and continue for a period of three days, as it is hoped to reach an agreement between the two governments." 

Despite the existence of problems and obstacles between the two governments since 2003, Hawrami talks about the existence of "international mediation" to bridge the views between Baghdad and Erbil on the outstanding issues. 

The spokesman for the deputy prime minister of the regional government said, “Baghdad is in the process of drafting the 2021 budget, and we aim through meetings and discussions to stabilize the region’s financial dues in the general budget before sending it to Parliament and then approving it, in order for the vision to be clear for the next year and avoid Any problems or obstacles between The two parties.    LINK

MilitiaMan:  The PM is heading to Erbil tomorrow for the first time. It is also a very special time.  A time where agreements on many long standing issues are to be sorted out. Why go to Erbil with out having a good idea where you stand on the agreements spoken of previously..

The international mediation probably has been involved most all along, evidence is the PM is now going on 09/10/2020.

An interesting day be sure. Same day the FedNow is possibly going live with it's version of a transparent block chain system for payments and settlements.

Transparency is a big issue and the Oil and Gas will need it, the financial dues, will need it, the electricity sector will be a driver with it and the massive amount of revenues at the border crossing will need it, not to forget the debts that will need it to be fair. There is a vision to this all and it came with the DC meetings back to the Iraqi mainland. Fairly sure this as real as it gets.. imo ~ MM

"E-Government is a major driver of blockchain technology. Stephan Zimprich from fieldfisher looks at how the transparency and immutability of blockchain can help give citizens digital self-determination."

"Blockchain technology promises to facilitate fast, secure, low-cost international payment processing services (and other transactions) through the use of encrypted distributed ledgers that provide trusted real-time verification of transactions without the need for intermediaries such as correspondent banks and clearing ..."

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Samson:   Al-Kazemi visits Erbil for the first time

9th September, 2020

An informed political source said on Wednesday that Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi will visit Erbil on Thursday to meet with the region's leaders and leaders.

The source, who asked not to be named, told Shafaq News that Al-Kazemi will visit Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, tomorrow, Thursday. He added that Al-Kazemi will meet with leaders and leaders of the Kurdistan Region, headed by Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Region, and Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister.

The source indicated that Al-Kazemi will discuss several files in Erbil, including the outstanding disputes between Baghdad and Erbil for many years, the fight against ISIS remnants, as well as the holding of early parliamentary elections. This will be Al-Kazemi's first visit to the Kurdistan Region since the formation of his government last May.

The Kurdistan Region was among the parties that strongly supported the rise of Mustafa Al-Kazemi to the presidency of the federal government.

Al-Kazemi government and the Kurdistan Region have been holding talks for months to resolve the outstanding disputes between Baghdad and Erbil for many years, and at the forefront of which are the disputed areas, the file of managing oil wealth and distributing their revenues.  LINK

Samson:  Watch: Highlights from the weekly press conference of PM @MAKadhimi’s Spokesperson, @AhmadMullaTalal: pic.twitter.com/NBejuMAAxT

— Government of Iraq -(@IraqiGovt) September 9, 2020

MilitiaMan:  In the beginning of the video notice that he says there is a special meeting with the Cabinet at the start of next week and not the HoR in respect to discussing and approving the 2020 budget.

If it is a translation error or not I don't know. But, the translator for the PM and his spokesman probably or at least should have it spot on. If it is spot on, then there is a thought that Parliament may get circumvented in that regard to see the 2020 prior to approval and have no say in it.

Not even sure if that is legal. But, with all the corruption getting cleaned up, maybe there is emergency circumstances at play here. Regardless they are talking approval of the 2020 Budget.

Also take notice that the PM has directed competent authorities to work on the E-Government and to address the problems facing it as quickly as possible.

Again, lets keep this in perspective. E-Government and E-Finance are both in play for Iraq's future. Both are related to block chain systems with transparency not only for salaries but for customs at the borders. Hence the urgency in his tone and the extraordinary circumstances at hand! Don't get to real, as this is as real as it gets. K is in Kurd land tomorrow.. lol ~ MM

Al-Kazemi directed that an extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers be held early next week, devoted to Discussing the 2020
budget

Al-Kazemi also directed the competent authorities to expedite work on the e-government project, address the problems it faces as quickly as possible, and prepare an integrated report on the measures taken next week, the stages of work and the diagnosis of the ministries lagging in this regard, and the reasons for the delay