Erbil, Kurdistan (KRG.org) – The Eighth Day news agency has issued a story, which has been published by various media outlets, claiming that Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government Nechirvan Barzani and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki have reached an agreement overseen by the United States of America. It is claimed that this agreement entails Iraq allowing the Kurdistan Region to sell oil in return for Peshmerga support in fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in Mosul.

In a statement KRG Spokesperson Minister Safeen Dizayee has refuted this, saying, “This story is completely fabricated and is the furthest thing from the truth. There is no substance to it.”

In addition, Minister Dizayee reiterated that the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Peshmerga forces are committed to protecting the security and stability of the Kurdistan Region and the people living inside KRG-administered territory, as well as the areas of Kurdistan outside KRG administration. The KRG will defend them and will not allow them to be targeted or placed under threat in any circumstances.