Iran to reopen borders with Iraqi Kurdistan on Sunday

The decision was made following a two-day meeting between Iranian and Iraqi Kurdish officials which aimed at discussing problems at the common borders, said Mohammad Jafari, the deputy chairman for local security the Supreme National Security Council.

According to the official, the two sides agreed to take required measures to monitor border movements and prevent the entry of terrorists into Iran. “After two days of talks it was agreed that the Iraqi side take necessary measures to control borders and prevent the intrusion of terrorists into Iranian soil,” Jafari explained.

The negotiations are set to continue on October 18, he added.

The Kurdish delegation included senior leaders from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).

The Foreign Ministry spokesman said Iran closed its border with the Iraqi Kurdistan as terrorists smuggle weapons into Iran and create insecurity. However, the governor of Kermanshah province said earlier that the closure was in response to the illegal abduction of an Iranian official by the U.S. forces from the Sulaymaniyah Palace Hotel in northern Iraq.

BA/MS

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MNA