Iran is refusing to supply electricity and demanding Baghdad more than $ 1.5 billion .. And Iraq resort to Saudi Arabia

Iran is refusing to supply electricity and demanding Baghdad more than $ 1.5 billion .. And Iraq resort to Saudi Arabia



17-07-2018 05:26 PM

The Euphrates -
 

The outgoing Prime Minister Haider Abadi decided to send a ministerial delegation to Saudi Arabia after Iran refused to resume the sale of electricity to Iraq, which is witnessing demonstrations in its southern cities to protest the widespread unemployment and corruption and the lack of basic services, especially electricity at a time when Iraq is a heat wave in which temperatures reach 50C .

The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity failed to persuade the Iranian side to resume the sale of electricity to Iraq and said it would resort to 'alternative plan'.

The Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardkanyan, stressed his country's commitment to stop the export of electricity and water to Iraq, saying «we have reduced the level of export of water and electricity to Iraq to zero, because the continuation of export would exacerbate the current situation in the country on cutting power».

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zangana held a meeting with electricity minister Qassem al-Fahdawi, who also met Erdogan during his visit to Tehran in a new attempt to resolve the "electricity crisis".

A high-level delegation headed by the head of the Iraqi side of the Iraqi-Saudi coordination council is to travel to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

The council was established in June 2017 in an effort to improve troubled relations between Baghdad and Riyadh.

The visit comes at the behest of Abadi.

The delegation includes ministers of oil, electricity, transport and a number of general managers in a number of ministries.

"The delegation will discuss with the Saudi side a number of important issues and issues within the framework of the Iraqi-Saudi Coordination Council," the statement said.

He added that 'energy, which includes electricity and fuel will be one of the most important files to be discussed with the Saudi side ... The delegation will also discuss other issues related to the activation of air transport, sea and land between the two countries.'

Electricity cuts have been frequent in Iraq despite being a major oil producer in OPEC at a time when the national system was unable to provide the required energy in times of extreme heat, especially in the region, central and southern of the country.

There is a gap between actual demand and available supplies, with some demand reaching 21,000 megawatts, while the national grid provides 13,000 megawatts at best.

The Iranian authorities stopped a few days ago to supply Iraq with electricity, demanding Baghdad to pay more than $ 1.5 billion accumulated debts of electricity bills.

Iran insists that payments should be made in dollars, but the Iraqi government fears that US sanctions will come if it deals with Tehran in hard currency, and in return demands anything but the dollar.

In recent weeks, Iran has witnessed violent demonstrations in several provinces, especially Khuzestan, due to water shortages and power cuts, as temperatures rise.

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