2024-04-01T18:24:53+00:00
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/ On Monday, the Central Bank of Iraq revealed the legal basis for depositing oil revenues in the US Federal Reserve.
According to documents issued by the bank and viewed by Agency, “The legal basis for depositing oil revenues in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in the IRAQ2 account alternative to the DFI account is the expiration of the extension of the Executive Order issued by the US President No. 13303 issued in March 2003.” According to which immunity was granted to the Iraqi funds deposited in the Iraqi Development Account (DFI) at the time, and the end of the United Nations protection over Iraqi funds that was granted to it under UN Security Council Resolution No. 1483 of 2003 after the issuance of UN Resolution 1956 at the end of 2010.
The documents added, “Accordingly, an IRAQ2 account was opened, which is used to deposit funds from Iraqi crude oil exports, and they are transferred to the account of the Central Bank of Iraq at the Federal Reserve Bank within 24 hours of receiving these amounts to ensure that they are not exposed to the claims of creditors, as they are funds belonging to the Iraqi government derived from the export of crude oil.” This mechanism was organized through a (memorandum of understanding) signed between the Iraqi Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Iraq on 6/2/2014 for the purpose of organizing the work of the IRAQ2 alternative account for the Development Fund for Iraq, and this memorandum is the legal basis for establishing the aforementioned account.
She continued, “The immunity granted in accordance with these two documents includes sovereign funds only and does not include funds used for commercial purposes.”
The documents explained, “With regard to the answer to the third paragraph, foreign reserves may be deposited with several external parties, central banks and financial institutions, and not only in the Federal Reserve Bank, and interest rates vary according to the investment segment, the duration of the investment, and the institution with which the investment is made, in addition to the fact that the transport company is Orient is the company contracted by this bank to transport dollar shipments from the Federal Reserve Bank to Baghdad International Airport, with an insurance amount of (414,000) US dollars (four hundred and fourteen thousand US dollars per shipment, and transportation fees of (216,310) US dollars (two hundred and sixteen thousand three hundred and ten US dollars, Department of Parliamentary Affairs, Department of Parliamentary Oversight.”
She continued, “It is not possible to transfer the revenues from the sale of oil to the interior due to the impossibility of carrying out financial operations for Iraq if the funds are at home, and closing our account with the Federal Reserve Bank could expose Iraq to the risk of international claims, in addition to the inability to settle our payments in US dollars without the presence of… An account at the Federal Reserve Bank or other U.S. commercial bank.