Baghdad: The Ministry of Oil announced on Saturday the objectives of its minister's visit to Turkey, leading a government delegation, the ministry stated that the visit aimed to finalize a one-year agreement to ensure the continued export of oil through the Ceyhan port.

According to Iraqi News Agency, Ministry of Oil spokesman Salim al-Rikabi stated, "A high-level Iraqi delegation, headed by Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs and Minister of Oil Basim Mohammed Khudair, traveled to Turkey to sign a temporary agreement for one year, as a prelude to concluding a comprehensive, long-term agreement with the Turkish side that includes projects in the energy sector."

He added that "the agreement aims to sustain the export of Iraqi crude oil through the Turkish port of Ceyhan," explaining that it is "a tripartite agreement that includes, on the Iraqi side, the State Oil Marketing Company (SOMO) and the North Oil Company, and on the Turkish side, the company (BOTAS)."

He noted that "the agreement sets an export capacity of 750,000 barrels per day," emphasizing that "achieving these quantities is linked to the improvement of security conditions in the Kurdistan Region, the return of foreign companies, the resumption of production in the region, as well as the transfer of oil from the south to the north."

He explained further that "the agreement represents a prelude to a comprehensive agreement aimed at raising export capacity to more than one million barrels per day, after the completion of the (Basra - Haditha - Kirkuk - Ceyhan) pipeline."