ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani held a phone call with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday, emphasizing the need to accelerate the resumption of oil exports from the Kurdistan Region.

Flows of crude oil through a pipeline from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in northern Iraq to Turkey could restart soon after an almost two-year shutdown.

Iraq’s oil ministry repeated that it’s ready to restart exports from the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan via a pipeline to Turkey that’s been shut for almost two years.

Iraq’s oil ministry has announced the resumption of oil exports from northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region

The Oil Ministry contacted the Turkish side for information about the Iraq-Turkey oil pipeline to resume Iraqi Kurdistan's oil exports.

Iraq's Oil Minister confirmed on Monday that the Iraq-Turkey pipeline, designated for the resumption of the Kurdistan Region’s oil exports through Turkey's Ceyhan port, is ready to use.

Iraqi crude is expected to start flowing to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, after the Baghdad government said it was awaiting approval from Ankara to restart shipments. Baghdad has earmarked 185,000 barrels per day for export through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline from oilfileds in the semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region.

Turkey says it has yet to hear from Iraq about restarting oil flows through an export pipeline from the semiautonomous Kurdistan region, casting doubt on expectations for an imminent resumption.