SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in the Kurdistan Region on Tuesday.
Zarif was welcomed by Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani at Erbil airport upon his arrival to the Region.
He is expected to hold talks with senior Kurdish officials including Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and President Nechirvan Barzani.
The Iranian foreign minister visited Baghdad on Monday and met with senior officials including President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi as well as political leaders.
In a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein, Zarif praised Iraq’s efforts aimed at bolstering regional stability.
“We welcome Iraq’s vital role in the region and we hope that day after day that strengthens Iraq’s role for the stability of the region,” Zarif said, according to AP.
His comments came after senior Iranian and Saudi officials held direct talks in Baghdad earlier this month. The talks signaled a possible de-escalation following years of animosity that often spilled into neighboring countries.
Zarif did not confirm the meeting was held in Iraq, but he thanked the Iraqi government for “exerting its efforts”.
“We hope that these efforts will lead to more negotiations and understandings in the region,” he added.
*This story was updated at 04:13 p.m. EBL time
