CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES ENERGY

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 003444 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2026 TAGS: ECON ENRG EPET IZ SUBJECT: CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES ENERGY COMMITTEE ON HYDROCARBON LAW REF: BAGHDAD 3341 Classified By: ECON MINCOUNS DANIEL WEYGANDT, REASONS 1.5 (b) AND (d) 1.(U) On August 7, Deputy Econcouns and Econoff met with Ali Husayn Belu (Kurdish Alliance),chairman of the Council of Representatives Committee on Oil, Gas and Natural Resources, to urge swift passage of the national hydrocarbon legislation and delay of passage of a regional law by the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) until after passage of national legislation. Belu was a professor of agriculture prior to entering the CoR. He is from the Dohuk region of Kurdistan. 2.(C) Belu said that the GOI had basically done nothing to draft a hydrocarbon law until the Kurdish Regional Government offered its own versions (reftel). He said that he will meet with Minister of Oil Husayn Shahristani next week to discuss the GOI's game plan and press for an accelerated time table. Belu said that the entire Committee had gone to Erbil, Kurdistan, at the invitation of KRG Natural Resources Minister, Dr. Ashti A. Hawrami, who briefed them on the status of negotiations with GOI officials and on the proposed Kurdish Petroleum Law (reftel). Belu showed frustration with the GOI's lack of initiative in drafting the national law, but was unwilling to commit to a timeline when asked when he thought the legislation would be enacted. He noted that his Committee had a lack of technical expertise and welcomed the offer of consultations with Post petroleum and legal experts on hydrocarbon issues. 3.(U) Belu's committee also reviewed the Fuel Import Liberalization Law, which passed the CoR on September 6. He said that they made two amendments to the law, dealing with penalties for infractions. (Post will obtain and translate the law as passed for analysis.) SPECKHARD