The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, Masrour Barzani, held a meeting on Tuesday with the Crisis and Disaster Management Operations Room at the Erbil Governorate building in Erbil, where officials discussed precautionary measures and the government’s response to regional developments.

At the beginning of the meeting, Erbil Governor Omid Khoshnaw presented a briefing on the activities of the operations room, outlining the work carried out by service departments and relevant security agencies to prepare for potential emergencies and manage crises across the city and the wider Kurdistan Region.

Barzani praised the efforts of the operations room and the participating institutions, commending their readiness and ongoing coordination to ensure the safety and security of citizens. He also urged officials to fully carry out their responsibilities and prevent any failures in the delivery of public services.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister reassured the public that the regional government is working to protect the Kurdistan Region and its citizens from the consequences of conflicts and tensions affecting the wider region. He also noted that despite attacks on oil and gas fields and refineries by armed groups, the government continues to search for solutions to address the ongoing electricity crisis.

Following the meeting, Barzani held a press conference in which he addressed several issues, including oil exports and economic stability.

“The Kurdistan Region is more committed than anyone else to protecting the economy and ensuring citizens’ salaries and livelihoods,” he said. “We reaffirm our support for the resumption of oil exports and stress that the region has never been an obstacle to this process.”

Barzani stated that Baghdad had previously halted Kurdistan’s oil exports through legal action, emphasizing that the regional government should not be held responsible for the suspension. He added that although the amount of oil exported through the Kurdistan Region is limited and cannot compensate for Iraq’s total exports, the regional government remains ready to cooperate and coordinate with the federal authorities to resume exports.

The Prime Minister also addressed questions regarding the customs management system ASYCUDA, explaining that the Kurdistan Region has not rejected its implementation. Instead, he said the government had requested sufficient time to complete the necessary preparations, particularly in light of difficult economic conditions and declining trade activity.

The meeting and subsequent press conference come amid ongoing economic and security challenges in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, with officials emphasizing the need for coordination between regional and federal authorities.