Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made a recent assessment of whether the oil pipeline between the Kurdistan Region in Iraq and Turkey will be re-opened.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK supports a secure, stable, and thriving Kurdistan Region in Iraq (KRI) within a peaceful and prosperous Iraq. Through our diplomatic engagements, we continue to encourage all parties to work together to find a satisfactory and speedy resolution, noting the importance of oil exports via the pipeline to the health of the economy of the KRI and to Iraq.
It would not be appropriate, given the ongoing negotiations between the governments of Iraq and Turkey regarding the pipeline, for HMG to speculate on any timelines for its reopening.
Dec. 29 2023
Source Page: Outstanding contributions by British nationals abroad recognised on Overseas and International Honours ListFound: Also recognised in the list are a number of British women working in senior positions in the fields of
Oct. 10 2023
Source Page: The UK is committed to the stability and security of Iraq: UK Statement at the UN Security CouncilFound: The UK is committed to the stability and security of Iraq: UK Statement at the UN Security Council
Written Evidence Dec. 18 2023
Inquiry: The UK’s engagement with the Middle East and North AfricaFound: Interviews were also conducted with child rights practitioners working in Iraq and northeast Syria
Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the role of Shia militia groups in recent disturbances in Kirkuk.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK regularly engages with leaders of Federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), including during the recent visit of the Security Minister, Tom Tughendhat in August. Following the recent incident in Kirkuk the British Embassy in Iraq has met a range of Iraqi counterparts and continues to encourage cooperation between Baghdad and Erbil to resolve outstanding issues. The UK supports all efforts to ensure a secure, stable, and thriving KRI exists within a peaceful and prosperous Iraq.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2023 to Question 187387 on Iraq: Political Prisoners, whether he plans to make further representations to the Kurdistan regional government in Iraq following the extension to the prison sentence of journalist Sherwan Sherwani.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK Government remains committed to pressing the case for improvements in the human rights situation in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) and to advocating for human rights for all, including in relation to freedom of expression and the freedom for journalists to do their jobs free from harm.
The UK Government, through our Consulate General in Erbil, takes a close interest in the treatment of journalists and human rights activists in the KRI, and they are monitoring the case of Mr Sherwani.
We have always been clear that journalists and political activists should be free to operate without undue interference from security forces or fear of indefinite detention.
Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to the Iraqi government on (a) the recent deaths of Kurds in Kirkuk and (b) potential mediation by the United Nations.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK regularly engages with leaders of Federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), including during the recent visit of the Security Minister, Tom Tughendhat in August. Following the recent incident in Kirkuk the British Embassy in Iraq has met a range of Iraqi counterparts and continues to encourage cooperation between Baghdad and Erbil to resolve outstanding issues. The UK supports all efforts to ensure a secure, stable, and thriving KRI exists within a peaceful and prosperous Iraq.
Written Evidence May. 28 2024
Inquiry: Daesh InquiryFound: For example, in September 2014, the Council of Ministers in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)
Aug. 23 2023
Source Page: Security Minister visits Iraq to strengthen security partnershipFound: Security Minister visits Iraq to strengthen security partnership
Jan. 22 2024
Source Page: UK and US sanction key figures in Hamas’s financial networkFound: UK and US sanction key figures in Hamas’s financial network