KRG inaugurates Soran as new autonomous administration

“We promised to delegate power to independent administrations and provinces,” to cut red tape, Barzani said.

Halgurd Sherwani 2021/09/14 14:33

KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani (left) hands over the official decree announcing Halgurd Sheikh Najeeb as new head of Soran autonomous administration, Sept. 14, 2021. (Photo: KRG)

Kurdistan Krg Masrour Barzani Soran Zakho Autonomous administrations Halgurd Sheikh Najib

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Prime Minister Masrour Barzani officially inaugurated Soran as the newest independent administration in the Kurdistan Region on Tuesday.

In a ceremony attended by local officials and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) ministers, Halgurd Sheikh Najib was announced as the Supervisor of the Soran Independent Administration.

In late July, the Council of Ministers approved a proposal to make Zakho and Soran autonomous administrations.

The new administration, which Erbil previously administered, consists of four districts: Rawanduz, Choman, Mergasor, and Soran.

“It is a historic beginning,” Prime Minister Barzani said at Tuesday’s ceremony.

The premier expressed his hope that the move would help these areas further develop economically and administratively.

Soran is a strategically important because it shares borders with the Kurdistan Region neighbor’s Iran and Turkey. It is also a busy economic hub given the large amount of trade conducted in the area with those two countries.

The Soran administration boasts several popular tourist sites, including Fellaw Pond, Geli Ali Beg Waterfall, and the Bekhall resort. Each year thousands of locals and Iraqi tourists visit these sites.

Barzani said the area has the potential to become an international hub for tourists from across the globe.

Now that their area is an independent administration, Soran’s residents will no longer need to rely on Erbil for processing government paperwork since the relevant directorates will be available locally.

“We promised to delegate power to independent administrations and provinces,” to cut red tape, Barzani said, adding that his cabinet has taken practical steps to realize those promises.

The prime minister also hailed the residents of Soran for the historic role they played in the Kurdish liberation struggle. Thousands of Peshmerga who gave their lives for that struggle came from Soran.

The Kurdistan Region now has four autonomous administrations: Soran, Zakho, Raparin, and Garmiyan.