Economy News – Baghdad
Atwan Al-Atwani, the head of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, reaffirmed on Sunday the Iraqi government’s commitment to achieving energy independence. Meanwhile, Daniel Robinstein, the Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, indicated that the import of natural gas is not affected by the sanctions regime.
A statement from the Finance Committee noted that Al-Atwani met with Robinstein and his delegation, discussing opportunities to strengthen cooperation between Iraq and the United States in the financial and banking sectors.
The dialogue focused on the implications of U.S. sanctions, particularly concerning the energy sector, amidst concerns regarding the end of Iraq’s exemption for importing Iranian gas.
Al-Atwani emphasized the significance of this meeting during a pivotal moment and underscored the importance of ongoing communication to correct the trajectory of Iraqi-American relations. He conveyed a critical message to the U.S. government, warning that halting gas imports could have catastrophic repercussions for the Iraqi populace, particularly during the summer months, when it could lead to the collapse of the national electricity infrastructure due to a lack of alternatives.
He underscored that the Iraqi government is earnestly pursuing energy independence through various promising projects aimed at harnessing associated gas for electricity generation. However, he noted that these initiatives are expected to come into service in the coming years.
Al-Atwani called on the American administration to reconsider the stringent policies imposed by the U.S. Treasury on Iraq’s financial and banking sectors, which involve ongoing sanctions against local banks.
He expressed concern that Iraq has made significant strides in compliance and financial transfers, yet remains perplexed by unexplained collective sanctions targeting Iraqi banks without prior warning or justifiable cause, which has severely hampered the functioning of the banking sector.
In response, Robinstein acknowledged Al-Atwani’s concerns regarding energy and banking sanctions, committing to relay these messages to the U.S. government in the hopes of finding solutions that serve both nations’ interests. He reiterated that, at this time, the importation of natural gas remains exempt from the sanctions framework.
For more updates, subscribe to our channel on Telegram
