Kurdistan Regional Government to Hold First Cabinet Meeting in More Than Three Months

Peregraf — The Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) Council of Ministers is set to convene on Wednesday for the first time in more than three months, with discussions expected to focus on ongoing disputes with Baghdad, oil exports, and domestic revenue collection. 

Peshawa Hawramani, the KRG's spokesperson, said the cabinet will review several outstanding issues between the Kurdistan Region and Iraq's federal government, including the long-running dispute over the region's oil sector and recent developments in Erbil-Baghdad relations. 

The meeting comes at a critical juncture in federal-regional relations, as negotiations continue over oil exports, budget transfers, and revenue-sharing arrangements. Disagreements between the two governments have intensified since the suspension of Kurdish oil exports through Türkiye in 2023, a dispute that has cost both Baghdad and Erbil billions of dollars in lost revenue.

According to Hawramani, ministers will also discuss domestic revenue collection and the implementation of ASYCUDA — the Automated System for Customs Data — a UN-backed electronic customs management platform currently at the center of a dispute between Erbil and Baghdad over its rollout in the Kurdistan Region.

Negotiations between the KRG and Iraq's federal government over ASYCUDA implementation have been ongoing since early 2026, with Baghdad pushing to extend the system to the Kurdistan Region's border crossings. As of early May 2026, no final agreement had been reached, according to a KRG Ministry of Interior advisor.

Wednesday's session is expected to indicate how the Kurdistan Regional Government plans to address its ongoing financial challenges while navigating complex negotiations with Baghdad over energy and fiscal policy.

The Council of Ministers has not met formally since February 25, 2026 — a gap of more than three months — making the upcoming session one of the most significant cabinet meetings in recent memory as officials seek to resolve several unresolved political and economic issues facing the region.