MESOPOTAMIA NEWS : KURDISTAN IRAQ / BARZANI = MORE TRADE WITH IRAN! MORE CORONA INFECTIONS !

Kurdistan Region reopens two border crossings with Iran

Hiwa Shilani | 28 April 2020 – The international border crossing of Bashmakh on the Kurdistan Region and Iran border.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Interior announced the reopening of two border crossings with Iran starting from April 28.

In a statement on late Monday, the ministry revealed that the reopening of the Tawela border-crossing in Halabja province and the Kelli border-crossing in the Rapareen administrative district is for commercial exchange only.

The statement said preventive health measures the Ministry of Health had issued would apply to both border checkpoints to prevent the spillover of COVID-19 from Iran into the region.

“No travelling will be allowed in both border-crossings toward Iran or from it without the approval of the Ministry of Interior,” the statement added.

The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Interior previously halted all travel and passenger movement throughout its borders as part of strict measures to combat the deadly coronavirus, allowing only trade and commercial exchange through its international border-crossing while completely halting movement through its local border-crossings.

The Kurdistan Region shares three official border crossings with Iran: Bashmakh, Parwezkhan, and Haji Omaran. It also has three local and unofficial border crossings, which are Kelli, Tawela, and Pshte.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany