Baghdad, Washington necessitate protecting sea lanes to guarantee the export of Iraqi and Gulf oil

INA-  Baghdad


Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein discussed with John R. Bass, the Undersecretary of State for Management, and Assistant Secretary Geoffrey R. Pyatt for Energy Resources on Thursday the need to protect sea lanes to ensure the export of Iraqi and Gulf oil. 

 According to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs obtained by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), "Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein met with John R. Bass, the Undersecretary of State for Management, and Assistant Secretary Geoffrey R. Pyatt for Energy Resources, on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition against ISIS held in Washington."

The statement explained that "during the meeting, they discussed strengthening joint cooperation in the fields of energy, oil and economy, and continuing diplomatic efforts to maintain Iraq's stability and security.”
Both sides touched on "the need to protect the sea lanes to ensure the export of Iraqi and Gulf oil by securing these corridors."
 
 The statement added that "the focus was on the continuity of dialogue between Baghdad and Erbil and the oil companies operating in the Kurdistan region of Iraq to ensure the resolution of disputes related to oil exports, as well as discussing the security situation in the region and the repercussions of the escalation and its impact on energy and oil sources."

The two sides stressed "the importance of continued cooperation between the United States and Iraq to ensure that the country is not dragged into any regional escalation, and work to face the economic challenges resulting from regional turmoil."

  For his part, Ambassador Bass welcomed Iraq's participation in the ministerial meeting of the tenth international coalition against Daesh, and the strengthening of efforts to combat terrorism.