(Adds comment by Rosneft spokesman in last paragraph)
BAGHDAD, Oct 30 (PRIME) -- The Iraqi Oil Ministry has received no answer to its request to explain its position on contracts with Kurdistan from Russian oil company Rosneft, representative for the authority Asem Jihad told PRIME on Monday.
“We have demanded that the company make this contract clear to us. The Russian energy minister emphasized during our visit to Moscow that all contracts signed by Russian companies pass the federal government and the oil ministry… Rosneft has provided no clarifications so far,” Jihad said, adding that any deal signed without consent by the federal government is illegal.
Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin said earlier that Rosneft was developing oil in Kurdistan in accordance with local legislation. The company said on October 18 that it had signed agreements needed to enact production sharing deals on five blocks in Kurdistan with the local authorities.
Rosneft can also have a 60% stake in an export oil pipeline in Kurdistan which claimed independence from Iraq in September.
Rosneft spokesman Mikhail Leontyev said, “We are working, as Igor Sechin has already explained, we are discussing oil cooperation possibilities with them (the Iraqi authorities), issues concerning Iraqi Kurdistan with the autonomy but we are not liable to report to anyone… They have sent a request to us but we do not understand what is to be explained. We have already explained all the necessary things.”
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