Iraqi Kurds Interested in Extended Presence of Russian Oil Companies

Iraqi Kurdistan hopes more Russian oil companies will start operating in the autonomous region, a Moscow representative of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government said Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The representative acknowledged that Russia might refuse to support the region’s initiative because of low oil prices.

"Only Gazprom Neft is currently working in Iraqi Kurdistan, of course, we are very interested in expanding the presence of Russian oil companies," Aso Talabani told RIA Novosti.

The issue of boosting the Russian presence in Iraqi Kurdistan's oil industry will be on the agenda of an upcoming visit by a delegation from the region to Russia in April.

Iraqi Kurdistan is an autonomous region in northern Iraq, which became autonomous in 2005, following the US invasion of Iraq and the adoption of a new constitution. On March 5, a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party told Sputnik Turkey that the region would hold a referendum on independence in 2016.