Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said on Tuesday he would send a delegation to the United States to seek an exemption from sanctions against Iran that would allow Baghdad to continue importing gas from Tehran.
"The issue of gas is related to the sensitive matter of electricity, and the American side understands this situation and is trying to deal with Iraq to find ways to avoid pressure on it," Abdul Mahdi told a news conference.
US Energy Secretary Rick Perry said Tuesday that he discussed the sanctions his country has imposed on Iran with Iraqi energy officials.
Perry's remarks came on the sidelines of the US Chamber of Commerce's activity with Iraqi Oil Minister Thamer Ghadhban.
The United States is working to provide alternatives to Iraq, urging it to dispense with the gas it gets from Iran, under US pressure on Iraq to cut its ties with Iran in the energy field.
Iraq relies on Iran to import natural gas, which generates up to 45 percent of its electricity.
Washington gave Baghdad 45 days, exempt from Iranian sanctions, at a time when it hoped Iraq would seriously move to find alternatives, as expressed by US special envoy to Iran Brian Hawk.
To this end, US energy companies are stepping up their bids for Iraq to meet their energy needs, as a substitute for Iranian gas.
Comments
Post a Comment