ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iranian consul to Erbil on Tuesday told Rudaw that President Masoud Pezeshkian’s trip aims to strengthen Tehran’s relations with the Kurdistan Region and Iraq across various areas.
“The purpose of the trip is to develop bilateral ties in different fields,” said Iranian Consul General Nasrollah Rashnoudi, adding that the meetings will focus on economy, tourism, culture, politics, and social relations between the two sides.
Pezeshkian landed in Baghdad on Wednesday, in his first foreign visit since assuming office. He is also set to visit the Kurdistan Region during his trip.
Iran and Iraq have shared a strong relationship since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Tehran has since increased its influence over Baghdad, and the country has dozens of armed groups who are affiliated to the Shiite rule in Tehran.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani has visited Iran twice this year. In May, He conducted a three-day trip to Tehran and met top officials including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and late President Ebrahim Raisi. Barzani also attended Pezeshkian’s inauguration ceremony in late July.
“They [Barzani’s trips] are definitely impactful. We see the impact of Nechirvan Barzani’s visits,” Rashnoudi said, adding that Pezeshkian’s visit to the Kurdistan Region is upon the Kurdish president’s invitation.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s relations with the Kurds has always been a strong, solid, and important one, and Mr. Pezeshkian will definitely rely on this relationship,” he added.
The diplomat also mentioned that Tehran shares strong trade relations with Erbil and that Iranian exports to the Kurdistan Region have increased by 16 percent this year, stressing that they hope to further strengthen those ties by the end of the year.
Pezeshkian will also visit Sulaimani during his trip and pay tribute to late Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, according to Rashnoudi.
The Kurdistan Region and Iran enjoy good ties. During a forum in Sulaimani in April, Barzani said that Iran contributed to the economic “success” of the Kurdistan Region.
But that relationship has been strained in recent years by Tehran’s attacks on exiled Kurdish groups and deadly missile strikes on locations that it alleged were Mossad bases in the Region; Erbil has vehemently rejected the claims.
“Naturally these meetings and visits impact bilateral relations and we try to resolve the obstacles and issues between us. God willing they will have positive results,” he added.
