Iraq's council of ministers has agreed to recommence oil exports from fields in the semi-autonomous northern region of Kurdistan, the government's official spokesperson has confirmed.

In a statement made to Aswat al-Iraq, Ali al-Dabbagh announced that the decision to re-establish exports was made during the 20th session of the council, which took place earlier this week.

The decision followed a demand from the country's oil ministry to "implement the agreement with the Kurdistan region to export the crude oil extracted from the region through a company for marketing the crude oil".

Exports from the region were halted in late 2009 after just four months of trade. The local Kurdish authorities and the central Iraqi government have long been at loggerheads over the rights of ownership to fields in the north of the country.

The oil ministry has held two licensing rounds for fields in the south of the country, and has sought pledges from international oil companies in order to ensure local workers have access oil and gas training.

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