Iran, Iraq to Set Up Joint Committees to Provide Better Services for Pilgrims
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran and Iraq have agreed to establish joint committees in a bid to offer more services to the pilgrims traveling between the two neighboring countries.
“Good planning is due to be done next (Iranian) year (starting on March 21) for pilgrims by the formation of joint committees,” Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said at a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart Mohammed Salem al-Ghabban in Tehran on Saturday evening.
The Iranian minister explained that based on initial agreements, a joint gathering will be held between the Iranian and Iraqi provinces, and a working group will be set up in a bid to provide services for and ensure security of pilgrims traveling to the holy city of Karbala for Arbaeen mourning processions.
As regards security conditions along Iran and Iraq's shared borders, Rahmani Fazli said Iran has great experiences and technologies in the area of border protection and is ready to share them with Iraq and train the country’s forces.
This year, around 20 million pilgrims from all over the world gathered in the Iraqi city of Karbala to attend the mourning ceremonies marking Arbaeen.
Each year, pilgrims, mainly from Iraq and Iran, travel long routes on foot to Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located.
More than 1.2 million pilgrims flocked to Iraq this year from Iran alone to perform the mourning rituals.