Kurdistan
Shiite pilgrims crossing into the Kurdistan Region from Iran through the Haji Omaran border corssing. Photo: Bilind T. Abdullah/Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The governors of three Kurdish provinces in western Iran (Rojhelat) that border the Kurdistan Region are set to attend a conference on Thursday to discuss strengthening trade and resolving issues on both sides of the border.
Top officials from Iran’s Kurdistan, Kermanshah, and West Azerbaijan provinces are scheduled to attend the second annual conference for border areas that also includes the governors of Erbil, Sulaimani, and Halabja, as well as the heads of the administrations of Garmiyan, Raparin, and Soran.
Nasrullah Rashnoudi, the Iranian consul general to Erbil, told Rudaw that the conference and official visits are to strengthen relations between border provinces and to address challenges facing the ever-growing trade exchange between the two sides.
“The aim of the meeting and conference will be to develop relations between the Kurdistan Region and the border provinces and Islamic republic,” Rashnoudi told Rudaw.
He said they would discuss the facilitation of Shiite pilgrims who want to visit the holy sites and cities of Iraq through the Kurdish territories, stressing that the number of people who chose to travel through the Kurdistan Region was 50 percent higher than the previous year. He predicted the number to increase even further.
The Kurdistan Region’s Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed will head the conference.
There are multiple border crossings between the Kurdistan Region and Iran, but only three are internationally recognized: Bashmakh in Sulaimani province, Parvizkhan in the Garmiyan administration, and Haji Omaran in Erbil province.
Iran attacked Erbil with ballistic missiles targeting the residency of a Kurdish businessman in January. The attack killed the businessman and two other people, including his months-old toddler. Iran claimed it was targeting what it described as a Mossad spy base - an accusation vehemently denied by Kurdish and Iraqi authorities.
Following the attack, some Kurdish investors said they would boycott Iranian products.
Tehran and Erbil have since improved their relations. Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani made an official visit to the Islamic republic in May, where he met with top Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
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