Governor of Erbil to pilgrims: "You are in your country, city, and among your family."

On Saturday, August 26, Omed Khoshnaw, Governor of Erbil, in order to closely observe the situation of Iranian pilgrims to the holy places of Iraq and how the preparations and the readiness of service and emergency teams, accompanied by Nasrullah Rashnoudi, Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Erbil, visited the Erbil International Exhibition, which is dedicated to the accommodation of pilgrims.

Then, in a press conference, the governor thanked all the teams of Haji Omeran crossing border, Barzani Charity Foundation, provincial crises, security, police, residence, civil defense, health teams, environmental services, who have been able to provide all the services to the Iranian pilgrims to the holy places of Iraq who have arrived safely in Erbil. The governor also thanked all the agencies that cooperate and coordinate for the success of the process, and stated that the arrival of pilgrims will continue over the next few days.

He stated, "As the Kurdistan Regional Government and Erbil governorate from the border point of Haji Omeran to the last point of our province, which is Sherawa checkpoint, we are prepared to serve the pilgrims in the best way possible. We will provide them with all facilities and assure them that they are in their country, city, home, and among their families as long as they are in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Regional Government."

The governor said that the Kurdistan Region will welcome the pilgrims in the best way and it is expected that (500 thousand) pilgrims during this period at the international crossing border of Haji Omeran visit the holy places of Iraq through the Kurdistan Region, currently, 2,000 to 3,000 pilgrims enter the Kurdistan Region daily.

We welcomed pilgrims along this trail for the first-time last year, which was a first for us, this experience was a huge success, and both the pilgrims and the Iranian officials were pleased. During our most recent visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Iranian Interior Minister and the governor of Urmia thanked the Kurdistan Regional Government and the province of Erbil for the fact that last year, the international border crossing of Haji Omeran and Erbil to our province's last border crossing, which is the Sherawa checkpoint, was able to welcome pilgrims in a very good and orderly manner and send them to Iraq's holy places.

Nasrullah Rashnoudi, the Iranian consul in Erbil, praised the position and efforts of the Kurdistan Regional Government and officials in the region in allowing visitors movement and providing all necessary to carry out the procedure in the best possible way.

The Iranian consul thanked and appreciated all Kurdish institutions for welcoming visitors to Imam Hussein's Arbaeen ceremony, saying, "I hope that the visitors will pray in the Arbaeen ceremony for all the good for the people and government of Kurdistan," noting that these steps will encourage the rapprochement of cordiality and love between hearts.

It is worth mentioning that the arrival of Iranian pilgrims to the holy places of Iraq from the international border crossing of Haji Omeran to the Kurdistan Region and Erbil has officially begun, and a large number of pilgrims have already arrived in Erbil in several stages and will soon leave for the holy sites in Iraq.