The Report of the Iraq Inquiry

engaging with the Iraqi Government. The UK was already in close contact with BP and

Shell on their business planning for Iraq.

494.  The paper was finalised in September.

495.  On 20 May, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki presented his Cabinet (minus the

Ministers for Interior, Security and Defence) to the Council of Representatives.284

All were approved. Dr Hussain al-Shahristani was appointed Minister of Oil.

496.  Mr Blair visited Iraq on 22 May. He met President Talabani and, separately,

Prime Minister Maliki.

497.  The following day, Sir Nigel Sheinwald wrote to Mr Straw’s Principal Private

Secretary setting out eight areas of work which were, in Mr Blair’s view, priorities for

Iraq.285 The final area of work listed was capacity building for Iraqi Ministries, including:

“During our visit, we were also asked for specific assistance in the areas of

agriculture, and promoting investment by oil companies. I would welcome advice

on both.”

498.  A Cabinet Office official sent Mr Blair an update on work in those eight areas on

2 June.286 The official advised that the FCO was working closely with Shell and BP on

an early visit to meet the new Minister of Oil, and on a plan for drawing in investors.

499.  A further, more substantive update on work in the eight areas identified by Mr Blair

was considered at the 15 June meeting of DOP(I).287 The update included a section on

capacity-building for Iraqi ministries, but did not address promoting investment by oil

companies (or the oil sector more generally).288

500.  Mr Patey visited the Kurdish region on 14 June.289 He reported that he had

encouraged KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and KRG Minister of Natural

Resources Dr Ashtee Hawramy to work with the federal Iraqi Government in drafting

a Petroleum Law. Mr Barzani had warned that the Kurdish people would not give up

hard-won concessions in the Constitution relating to the control of resources.

501.  IPU and DTI officials met Dr Hawramy in London on 26 June.290 An IPU official

reported that Dr Hawramy had said that he not been invited to sit on the drafting

committee for the Hydrocarbons Law, and had outlined the content of a draft

“KRG ‘Petroleum Law’”, which gave responsibility for signing contracts to regional

284 BBC News, 20 May 2006, Iraqi Parliament approves Cabinet.

285 Letter Sheinwald to Hayes, 23 May 2006, ‘Iraq’.

286 Minute Cabinet Office [junior official] to Prime Minister, 2 June 2006, ‘Iraq: Follow-up to Your Visit’.

287 Minutes, 15 June 2006, DOP(I) meeting.

288 Paper Cabinet Office, 13 June 2006, ‘Follow-up to the Prime Minister’s Visit, including Delivering

a Step-change in Basra’.

289 eGram 24970/06 Baghdad to FCO London, 17 June 2006, ‘Iraq: Visit to the Kurdish Region’.

290 Email IPU [junior official] to Casey, 7 July 2006, ‘Meeting with KRG Minister of Natural Resources’.

448