Iranian President Pezeshkian visits Erbil: Strengthening Ties with the Kurdistan Region

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – On Thursday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Erbil, marking his first official visit to the Kurdistan Region since taking office in July.

Pezeshkian was welcomed by Kurdistan Region's President Nechirvan Barzani upon his arrival at Erbil International Airport, as part of his broader tour of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

During his visit, President Pezeshkian is scheduled to hold separate meetings with key Kurdish leaders, including Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.

Discussions are expected to focus on enhancing cooperation across multiple sectors, including trade, security, and regional stability.

Earlier, on Wednesday, President Pezeshkian held high-level meetings in Baghdad with Iraqi President Latif Rasheed and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

These meetings culminated in the signing of 14 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) aimed at deepening cooperation between Iraq and Iran.

The agreements covered a wide range of sectors, including education, culture, communications, and tourism, as both nations work to strengthen bilateral ties.

The signed agreements include:

Training cooperation between Iraq and Iran.
Youth and sports collaboration.
Cultural, artistic, and archaeological exchanges.
Educational cooperation.
Media collaboration.
Communications partnerships.
Promotion of religious tourism.
Development of free zones.
Agriculture and natural resource management.
Postal services cooperation.
Social security initiatives.
Vocational and technical training.
Development of skilled workforce programs.
Joint activities between chambers of commerce.

This visit marks a significant step in diplomatic relations between Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and Iran, reinforcing their long-standing ties.

The Iranian President’s visit to Erbil highlights the importance of these relations, particularly in trade, as the Kurdistan Region and Iran share a common border, with three official border crossings facilitating commerce and communication.

Both sides aim to further expand these trade relations in the near future.

Pezeshkian's visit is also seen as an opportunity to revive diplomatic momentum after the sudden passing of former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, whose planned visit to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region was canceled following his untimely death in a helicopter crash.

With ongoing efforts to foster economic cooperation and strengthen regional ties, Pezeshkian’s visit is expected to yield lasting impacts on the partnership between the Kurdistan Region and the Islamic Republic of Iran.