A U.S. diplomat will attend a planned meeting in Baghdad on Thursday on the resumption of Kurdish oil exports via Turkey’s Ceyhan pipeline, five sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, as Washington continues to push for a restart.

The Iraqi oil ministry is hosting the talks on accelerating a resumption in oil exports from Iraq’s semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan region. They have been delayed till Thursday due to disagreements over terms between oil firms and the oil ministry.

One of the sources, an Iraqi oil ministry official with direct knowledge of the meeting, said the planned attendance of the diplomat, based at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, had come in response to a request from Washington.

The White House National Security Office did not respond to a request for comment on the matter.

“The presence of the U.S. diplomat aims to help push the negotiations forward and reach solutions to the issues hindering the resumption of oil exports in a way that satisfies all parties,” the oil ministry official said.

Reuters revealed last month that Iraq has come under increasing U.S. pressure to allow Kurdish oil exports via Turkey, thereby boosting supply to the global market at a time when Washington wants to reduce Iranian oil exports as part of its efforts to curb Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Iran views its neighbour and ally Iraq as vital for keeping its economy afloat amid international sanctions.

But Baghdad, a partner of both the United States and Iran, is wary of getting caught in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump’s policy of squeezing Tehran, sources have told Reuters.

“There is strong insistence from the U.S. side on ensuring the success of the negotiations (on resuming Kurdish oil exports) by any means,” said a government official close to the talks. “We hope that the U.S. role will help reach a reasonable and acceptable agreement for the Iraqi government.”
Source: Reuters