An Iraqi government spokesman said that the Baghdad government has decided to grant foreign oil company workers in Iraq assistance in obtaining entry visas and residency permits, following many complaints of difficulties faced by employees and engineers in entering Iraq to work for oil companies.
Faisal Abdullah, the spokesman for energy affairs for Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Hussain al-Shahristani, told Al-Monitor that Shahristani held a meeting with the general director of the Department of Nationality in the Ministry of Interior and the general director of the Contracts Department in the Oil Ministry. During the meeting, the parties discussed facilitating the process of obtaining visas and residency permits for workers employed by foreign oil and power companies in Iraq.