“We are two old neighbors and we share intertwined historical, religious, cultural, economic, and trade relations,” Rashnoudi said about relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
He said that as much as 45 percent of Iran’s trade is with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, but that this is one-sided, with Iran exporting to Iraq. He would like to see this change, and have Iraq boost its exports.
“It is necessary for this trade interaction to come from both sides and not just consist of exports from our side,” he said, explaining that this “will become a stabilizing and balancing factor between the two sides.”
Iran and the Kurdistan Region share a mountainous border that stretches several hundred kilometres. There are four official border crossings - Haji Omaran in Erbil province, Bashmakh in Sulaimani province, Parvizkhan in the Garmiyan administration, and Shushme in Halabja. There are also many unofficial border points.
Rashnoudi said they have taken steps to facilitate the transport of goods and the movement of visitors across the border, and they have regular meetings between officials on both sides to resolve any problems that arise.
Iraqi and Iranian nationals can travel between their countries without a visa so Rashnoudi said his office no longer keeps track of the numbers of people crossing the border, but before the visa-free policy came into place, the Erbil consulate alone was issuing as many as 6,500 visas daily.
