US energy secretary urges Iraq to quit dependency on Iran
549 views · Published 16 December 2018 · 1:52 · Indexed 8 November 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(11 Dec 2018) US Energy Secretary Rick Perry arrived in Baghdad on a trade mission Tuesday urging Iraq to reduce its energy dependence on Iran and open its own energy sector to American investment. Perry met with Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, Oil Minister Thamer Ghadban and other top officials in Baghdad as well as top Kurdish political official Masoud Barzani in Irbil to deliver a message encouraging market liberalization and low barriers to investment. The visit comes as the US tries to isolate Iran through sanctions targeting its business and finance sectors. US President Donald Trump says Iran is not in compliance with the 2015 nuclear accord. Iraq is caught in a delicate position as it continues to draw on Iranian gas and electricity production to power its own economy despite the renewed sanctions against its neighbour. But Perry characterized the moment as ripe for US investment in Iraq's energy sector. Iraq is one of the largest oil producers in the world. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/c321225de0f3e013b85ca4d24c8c1ab1
