Pezeshkian arrives in Erbil, reaffirms commitment to bilateral ties

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
12 Sep 2024 12:30
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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshikian arrives in Erbil and meets with the Iraqi Kurdistan Region President, where the two reaffirm longstanding ties.

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Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani welcomes Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian to Erbil in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan Region on September 12, 2024. (Social media)

On the second day of his visit to Iraq, Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian arrived in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, where he was welcomed by the region’s president, Nechirvan Barzani.

Pezeshkian’s visit includes meetings with various political parties and figures in Erbil, as well as representatives of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

Al Mayadeen's correspondent indicated that Iran has maintained longstanding special relations with the Kurdistan Region through influential parties such as the Democratic Party of Kurdistan (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), as well as with new and emerging forces that Iran seeks to engage with.

Our correspondent also noted that Pezeshkian spoke in Kurdish to announce his visit to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Iran has also coordinated with local forces and governments in Kurdistan to address the issue of Iranian separatist groups, according to our correspondent. These groups were based along the Iraq-Iran border and had political representation and offices supported by the KDP.

It is important to note that before Pezeshkian’s visit, Baghdad had closed 77 offices of these separatist groups in coordination with local security and political forces in Kurdistan, as part of a security agreement between Baghdad and Tehran to resolve this issue.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani confirmed Iraq’s commitment to ensuring that Iraqi territory does not pose a threat to neighboring countries, including Iran, with which Iraq shares over 1,200 km of borders.

On that note, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reminded that the two sides had previously overcome crises, such as when the IRGC targeted facilities linked to the Israeli Mossad in Erbil.

Iran, Iraq ink 14 MoUs

The Republic of Iraq welcomed Pezeshkian on Wednesday during his first official foreign visit, which has been described as highly significant.

The visit included the signing of several bilateral agreements between the two nations across multiple sectors.

In a joint press conference with Pezeshkian in Baghdad, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced that the two countries signed 14 memorandums of understanding.

Regarding the Israeli war on Gaza, al-Sudani emphasized that it poses a serious threat to regional stability. He firmly rejected any expansion of the war or violations of state sovereignty, referring to the Israeli assassination of Hamas' politburo chief martyr Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, urging the international community to assume its responsibilities for that matter.

For his part, Pezeshkian reaffirmed the Islamic Republic's commitment to strengthening its ties with Iraq across all sectors, emphasizing the importance of coordination on issues of mutual interest. He also underscored the need to implement existing security agreements between the two countries to effectively deter terrorists and counter efforts aimed at destabilizing the region.

He reiterated that Iran desires a strong, stable, and secure Iraq where brotherhood and peace prevail.

Regarding Palestine, the Iranian president stressed that "Israel's" war on Gaza reveals the hypocrisy of Western claims about human rights. He further highlighted that Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people are being perpetrated using US-made weapons.