CAIRO - Iraq's oil ministry said on Friday that its agreement with France's Total will go into its "execution phase" during the first quarter of 2022, the state news agency (INA) reported, citing a ministry statement.

Total will build four giant energy projects in southern Iraq under a $27 billion deal signed in Baghdad in September. 

(Reporting by Alaa Swilam and Omar Fahmy, Editing by Louise Heavens) ((Alaa.Swilam@thomsonreuters.com;))