BAGHDAD, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Iraq's oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz dropped sharply to 10 million barrels in April due to the regional war from the previous monthly level of around 93 million barrels, newly-inaugurated Oil Minister Basim Mohammed Khudhair said Saturday.

Photo taken on March 07,2016 shows fire still accompany the extraction of oil from Baba Karkar field. (Photo: Xinhua)

According to a statement by the oil ministry, Khudhair said during a ceremony marking his assumption of office that the government's strategy focuses on collaborating with foreign firms to enhance domestic production capacity, train technical and engineering personnel, and build the best infrastructure for the oil sector.

"We will work to develop the oil industry to achieve sustainable development and support the country's economy, especially since the oil sector is the backbone of the federal budget," he said.

Iraq's economy relies heavily on crude oil exports, which account for about 90 percent of the country's revenues.

Khudhair's remarks came two days after the parliament approved him as part of new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's cabinet.