Al-Sudani: We'll take all necessary steps to safeguard our sovereignty without hesitancy

INA-  Baghdad

Prime minister, Mohamed Shia Al-Sudani declared on Friday that the government will not think twice about taking all necessary action to safeguard the country's sovereignty. 
 
The Prime Minister stated that "no single party, whether external or internal, can take away the rights of the Iraqi government and its role in prolonging its security," in an interview with Bloomberg that was followed by the Iraqi News Agency (INA). He also stated that "our stance is clear, and we will not hesitate to take all necessary measures to protect our sovereignty."

"As of now, there are no issues concerning the extraction and distribution of Iraqi oil," he stated, adding that "developments persist in this delicate area, which accounts for over thirty percent of the global energy supply."
 
  "It's clear that the current situation is concerning for both importers and exporters," he stated, cautioning that "continuing this war in Gaza and the West Bank will only cause the conflict to spread, which is exactly what happened." 
 
 "The dispute between Baghdad and Erbil revolves around the problem of the cost of producing barrels," he said, adding, "We have no problem with the Turkish side, they have shown readiness, but there is a problem with the oil producing companies in the Kurdistan region."

 "Our plan is to rely on what we have of gas, whether it is associated with oil or natural gas," he said, adding that "Iraq is an active member of OPEC and we make decisions in OPEC through discussions and understandings." 
 
 "We intend to supply our gas needs and arrive at a point where we do not burn gas in three to five years," he stated, before adding, "We have set aside $4 billion for gas imports; once we become self-sufficient, this money will be directed toward other projects."