Rouhani calls for enforcement of Iraqi constitution in meeting with Barzani

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – All the ethnic and religious groups in Iraq should get to enjoy their full rights as guaranteed by the Iraqi Constitution, said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday.

A Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) delegation led by Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani met with Rouhani in Tehran.

The Kurdistan Region, as an essential part of Iraq, plays a significant role in strengthening the stability and security of the country, Rouhani said, according to the President’s press office.

He highlighted the historical ties between the Kurdistan Region and Iran and called for further developing their bilateral relations.

It is the first visit of the KRG delegation to Tehran following the Sep. 25 independence referendum held in the Kurdistan Region to which Iran was staunchly opposed.

“All ethnic groups in the region, including the Kurds, should have their legitimate rights under the constitution guaranteed to protect the territorial integrity of Iraq,” Rouhani said.

He noted that foreign armed forces in the country were not sympathetic to the people of the Kurdistan Region, but operating for their “long-term interests.”

The Iranian President also expressed Iranian businessmen’s interest in investing in the economic development of the Kurdistan Region, the media office added.

During the meeting, Barzani stated that the KRG hopes to resolve disputes with the Iraqi government peacefully and within the framework of the Constitution of Iraq.

He praised Tehran’s support to the Kurdistan Region in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) following the emergence of the group in northern Iraq in mid-2014.

The Kurdish Premier added that the borders between Iran and Iraq should be the gateways to friendship and mutual development. He assured that the Iraqi Kurdistan Region would not allow anyone to use their land to pose any possible threat to Iran. From Erbil’s perspective, “it is a red line,” the President’s press office said.

The KRG delegation also met with the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani.

During the meeting, both sides discussed the liberation of Iraq and the defeat of IS in the country, Iranian-state run IRNA reported.

Friction between Erbil and Tehran mounted following the 25 Sep. referendum. The Kurdistan Region and Iran share three official border crossings which generate billions of dollars in annual trading revenue for both nations.

Editing by Nadia Riva