ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani hosted Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday, signing more than a dozen agreements ranging from culture to the economy and security. Other high-level Iraqi officials, including the president, also hosted Pezeshkian during his first visit abroad since taking office.
During the meeting with Sudani “various topics of mutual interest were discussed, aiming to enhance cooperation and partnership between the two countries,” according to a statement from Sudani’s office.
For his part, Pezeshkian “emphasized Iran's desire to strengthen bilateral relations and continue with programs and memoranda of understanding between the two nations,” the Iraqi statement added.
During the meeting, the two leaders oversaw the signing of 14 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) across fields including economy, culture, and cooperation between chambers of commerce, Sudani’s office later announced.
Pezeshkian’s agenda included meetings with Iraqi leaders and the signing of cooperation agreements and security memoranda, Iranian state media reported as well.
The agreements between the two sides were supposed to be signed during a planned trip for late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May, Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad Mohammed Kazem Al-e Sadeq said in August.
Pezeshkian also met his Iraqi counterpart Abdul Latif Rashid.
They discussed the “importance of activating the agreements and memoranda of understanding signed between the two countries,” according to the Iraqi presidency on X.
Rashid also called on Tehran to release waters from rivers upstream in Iran and to reach mutually-satisfactory understandings on water sharing.
He is also set to visit the Kurdistan Region to meet high-level officials during his trip.
Iraq and Iran signed a security pact in March 2023 that saw Baghdad agree to disarm Kurdish opposition groups and secure the border regions. Iran had threatened to use military action if Baghdad failed to fulfill the agreement.
Pezshkian told Rudaw on Wednesday that Tehran’s relations with Erbil and Baghdad “are good now, and we will make them even better.”
“We will discuss all political, security, economic, scientific, and cultural issues,” Pezeshkian added.
A new phase in Iraq-Iran relations
During a joint press conference following their meeting, both Sudani and Pezeshkian reiterated that the latter’s visit signifies a new phase in Tehran-Baghdad relations.
“We discussed the broad and comprehensive bilateral strategic partnership,” Sudani said. “Iraq's position is clear as a government who is willing to expand the economic partnership.”
The security of the two countries was also discussed in the meetings.
"We affirmed our constitutional position not to allow any threat against the Islamic Republic to originate from our country," Sudani said, referring to Kurdish opposition groups based in the Kurdistan Region.
Pezeshkian said that the two sides “are in need of activating the security agreements between the two countries in a comprehensive manner to combat terror and enemies which seek to target the region's security and stability."
The Iranian president also noted that they agreed to establish a team of experts between Tehran and Baghdad to “develop strategic plans for broader cooperation."
Updated at 3:30 p.m. with joint presser
