UPDATE: PM Barzani, Kurdistan delegation will visit Iran tomorrow
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The Prime Minister of the KRG will visit Tehran on Sunday and Monday, when he and a delegation will hold meetings with Iran's president, speaker of parliament, and a chancellor to the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader.
Kurdistan Regional Government PM Nechirvan Barzani will visit Tehran as an extension of his diplomatic endeavors and dialogue with other countries in order to talk about political, economic, security and cultural issues, according to a statement from Iran’s consulate in Erbil that was released on Saturday
The premier will be accompanied by a delegation including Deputy PM Qubad Talabani, according the consulate.
The consulate considers the visit very important.
It added that the visit by the delegation is positive, as it is the first by the KRG PM since the Iraqi-opposed referendum and the decision by a federal court labelling the Kurdistan Region's vote "unconstitutional."
The Kurdish delegation will hold meetings for two days with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Iran Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, and other Iranian officials including Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council who is also a chancellor to the Supreme Leader, according to Iranian Mehr News Agency.
The Kurdistan Region held an independence referendum in September. It was opposed by Baghdad. The ‘Yes’ vote won with 93-percent of ballots indicating in favor of independence.
The KRG has said it “respects” a federal court in Baghdad ruling labeling the referendum as unconstitutional.
Iran has reopened all of its official border crossings with the Kurdistan Region.
Last updated at 3:10 p.m.