Iraqi Kurdistan Vows to Boost Ties With Iran

Date: 16 January 2019 - 21:29

News ID: ۶۲۱۳۷

ERBIL, Iraq (Dispatches) -- Iran’s Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif said U.S. President Donald Trump has no place in Iran’s relationship with Iraq’s Kurdistan Region.
Ties between Iran and the Iraqi Kurdistan are rooted in history and will outlast Trump’s administration, he said when asked about Trump’s recent comments that he was unhappy about Kurds selling oil to Iran.
"It has nothing to do with Mr. Trump. Together with the Kurds, we have relations dating back centuries. These governments come and go,” said Zarif.
Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting at the start of the year, Trump said he didn't like it that Kurds were "selling the small oil that they have to Iran, and we asked them not to sell it to Iran... We're not thrilled about that. OK? I'm not happy about it at all.”
Trump was apparently confused because he made those remarks while talking about Kurds in Syria, which has no border with Iran. The Iraqi Kurdistan, however, has been trucking crude from Kirkuk oilfield to Iran’s Kermanshah refinery near the border.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has said it will follow Baghdad’s lead when it comes to complying with U.S. sanctions on Iran.
Washington has given Baghdad a temporary waiver from sanctions, allowing Iraq to continue importing Iranian natural gas and electricity through March.
Both Baghdad and the local government in Erbil have stressed the importance of their economic ties with Iran.
Zarif arrived in Baghdad on Sunday where he met with Iraqi leaders before traveling to Erbil on Tuesday. He held a meeting on trade with KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and business leaders. He then traveled to Sulaymaniyah for a trade conference.
US sanctions on Iran appeared to have little bearing on discussions as Sulaimani hosted the ‘Iran-Iraq (Kurdistan Region) Economic Forum’ on Tuesday.
"We fought ISIS (Daesh) side by side… and traded together to develop Iraq, Iran, and the Kurdistan Region. These relations, which have been watered by the blood of martyrs, cannot be harmed by anyone or anything,” Zarif told the Iran-Iraq Economic Forum in Sulaymaniyah.
Zarif visited Baghdad and Erbil after recent visits by U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who sought to convince Iraq to end its energy dependence on Iran and claimed to have defeated Daesh.
"Delighted to be in Iraqi Kurdistan, long-time and close partner of Iran. Constructive and fruitful talks in Erbil with KDP President Masoud Barzani, KRG PM Barzani and KRG Security Council Chancellor Masrour Barzani. Huge interest in meeting with business community. Iran is a RELIABLE friend of Kurds,” Zarif tweeted.
There are seven border crossings between Iran and the Kurdistan Region, three of them operating at an official level, doing $8 billion in trade, according to KRG Finance Minister Rebaz Hamlan.
The KRG is keen to see that trade grow. Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani said he was happy to see discussions with their neighbor could focus on trade, not just on security issues.
Zarif stressed the importance of regional security and strong ties between neighbors.  "You cannot live in peace when your neighbors are not,” he said.
"A tree of love has to be planted because they bring peace. But a tree of hatred has to be uprooted because they bring bad things,” he said, reciting a well-known Persian poem by Hafiz.
By attending the forum in Sulaymaniyah, Zarif said, Iran wanted ties with Iraq and Kurdistan Region that are "based on economic coordination” to grow.