“Delighted to be in Iraqi Kurdistan, long-time & close partner of #Iran. Constructive & fruitful talks in Erbil with KDP Pres @masoud_barzani, KRG @PMBarzani & KRG SC Chancellor @masrour_barzani. Huge interest in meeting with business community. Iran is a RELIABLE friend of Kurds,” Zarif said in tweet on Tuesday after holding talks with senior Kurdish officials earlier in the day.
He was welcomed by the prime minister of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), Nechirvan Barzani, on arriving.
In a follow-up tweet, the top diplomat added, “Good to be back in Sulaymaniya to participate in a joint business forum. Extensive, friendly conversations with Deputy KRG PM @qubadjt. Hosted delightful dinner with leaders of almost all Kurdish parties. Rare opportunity for inclusive dialog.”
On Sunday, Zarif arrived in Baghdad for an official visit. His trip to Iraq comes against the backdrop of Iran’s efforts to boost its foreign trade in the US sanctions era.
Iraq’s foreign minister said recently that his country is “not obliged” to abide by sanctions imposed by the US against Iran and would be pursuing options to continue bilateral trade.