Kurdistan Regional Government Interior Minister received Iranian Deputy Interior Minister and an accompanying delegation
Today, Sunday, August 20, 2023, Rebar Ahmad, Minister of Interior of the Kurdistan Regional Government, in the presence of Omed Khoshnaw, Governor of Erbil, Halgurd Sheikh Najib, Supervisor of Soran Independent Administration, Dr. Hemn Miran, Director General of the Office of the Ministry of Interior and Abdullah Akreyi, Director General of Relations with Iran, received Seyed Mohammad Mir Ahmadi, Deputy Interior Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian, Governor of West Azerbaijan (Urmia) and Nasrullah Rashnoudi, Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Erbil.
The meeting, which was attended by a number of other officials from both sides, addressed a number of topics, one of which was the measures and facilities of the Kurdistan Regional Government to welcome the pilgrims from the Islamic Republic of Iran through the Kurdistan Region to the holy sites of Iraq and to participate in the 40th anniversary of Imam Hussein.
They also discussed the Kurdistan Regional Government's preparations to welcome pilgrims from the international border crossing of Haji Omeran to Erbil, which has opened three stations for this purpose and has provided all the necessities through the service and emergency departments. In this regard, the Deputy Interior Minister thanked the President of the Kurdistan Region, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region and the Kurdistan Regional Government, for all the preparations and facilities made to welcome the pilgrims.
In a joint press conference, Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw and West Azerbaijan Governor Mohammad Sadeq Motamedian emphasized the development of their relations and stated that all preparations have been made for the arrival of Imam Hussein's pilgrims to Karbala through the Haji Omeran border crossing and that 500,000 pilgrims are expected to visit Karbala this year through the Haji Omeran gates to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Imam Hussein. Regarding this, the governor stated, "In the Kurdistan Region, a high committee has been formed to hold this ceremony, and all necessary preparations will be made for the pilgrims from entering the border of Haji Omeran to our last checkpoint, Sherawa.
In this regard, a meeting was held today in the office of the Ministry of Interior under the chairmanship of the Interior Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government and with the participation of the Deputy Interior Minister of Iran and the governor of Urmia and delegation from both sides.
The preparations for this year's transit of pilgrims to Iraq's holy sites through the Haji Omeran-Tamarchin gate, which has been completed in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kurdistan Regional Government, were one of the subjects covered at the meeting.
"On July 23, 2023, we signed a 20-point agreement in Haji Omeran to further and improve trade exchanges and facilitate both sides' tourists," he added.
He emphasized that both countries are committed to and in accord with our previous agreements, and that the Haji Omeran border was the busiest between the Kurdistan Region and Iran last year.
He thanked the governor of Erbil and the Kurdistan Regional Government for their preparations for the pilgrims' arrival and stated, "Over the past two years, the majority of our agreements geared at developing relations, particularly in the economic field and commerce, have been implemented. He also stated that over 70,000 people from Haji Omeran visited Karbala and Iraq's holy cities last year, which he saw as a successful experience in relations between the Kurdistan Region and Iran.
In terms of trade, the governor of Urmia stated that last year, the border crossing of Tamrchin [Haji Omeran] was the first border crossing between Iran and the Kurdistan Region, with more than $1 billion exchanged, and part of the agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government was the opening of a new border gate, the Syedkan-Keleshin border gate, which is in the final stages and will be opened in the near future.