A delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday for a series of high-level meetings with Iraqi officials aimed at increasing oil production and exports from the Kurdistan Region.

According to Kurdistan24 correspondent Dilan Barzan, the delegation's first meeting was scheduled for noon with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi, marking the start of broader discussions with federal authorities.

A well-informed source told Kurdistan24 that the delegation's primary objective is to increase crude oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through Turkey's Ceyhan port, a key export route for Kurdish oil.

The delegation is expected to hold talks with Prime Minister al-Zaidi, Oil Minister Bassim Mohammed Khudair Al-Abadi, and officials from the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) to discuss export mechanisms and production targets.

According to sources, the delegation includes Acting Minister of Natural Resources Kamal Muhammad, Head of the Council of Ministers Diwan Omed Sabah, and Cabinet Secretary Amanj Rahim.

A source within Iraq's Oil Ministry said oil exports from the Kurdistan Region have declined in recent months due to security challenges affecting several oil fields. The disruptions have reduced export volumes and negatively impacted regional revenues.

Officials from both sides are expected to focus on increasing exports to 500,000 barrels per day while working to stabilize production levels and secure transportation routes.

Exports from the Kurdistan Region to the Turkish port of Ceyhan were halted in 2023 following an international arbitration ruling before partially resuming at the end of 2025. However, output and exports have again declined in recent months amid renewed security concerns and risks to critical oil infrastructure.