Kurdistan regional government confirms deal with Baghdad over oil exports

ARBIL Iraq (Reuters) - The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) confirmed on Thursday it has reached a deal to ease tensions with the central government over oil exports and Baghdad's payments to civil servants in the north. "What they have agreed is that Baghdad will release some funds - $500 million - and the KRG will give 150,000 barrels per day of oil to Baghdad," KRG spokesman Safeen Dizayee told Reuters. He said a KRG delegation headed by the prime minister would travel to Baghdad soon to hammer out a more comprehensive deal and the regional government would not hand over control of exports to Baghdad. (The story was refiled to change the day in the lead to Thursday) (Reporting by Isabel Coles; Writing by Michael Georgy; editing by Keiron Henderson)