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