Besieged by international pressure to delay its independence referendum, the KRG gets geopolitical backup from a Rosneft agreement to underwrite oil and gas export pipelines. Massoud Barzani, the president of Iraqi Kurdistan, lands in Moscow in February 2013. (Photo credit: Kurdistan Presidency office) The state-controlled Russian oil company Rosneft is advancing and expanding its multi-faceted energy deal with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) – giving the KRG a badly needed geopolitical boost ahead of its controversial independence referendum. Rosneft is moving forward with plans to invest in Kurdistan’s crude oil pipeline to Turkey, and it has announced a new intention to finance a gas export pipeline, according to statements released Monday by Rosneft and the KRG Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), as well as industry officials. This content is for registered users. Please login to continue. If you are not a registered user, you may purchase a subscription or […]