IRNA – Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif's visit to the Iraqi Kurdistan Region shows that Iran has good and positive relations with the Region, said Nechirvan Barzani, the prime minister of Iraq Kurdistan Region.

'Without Iran's help, the voice of the suppressed Kurds wouldn’t reach anywhere,' said Barzani in the conference of Iran and Erbil traders in the presence of Iran Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad-Javad Zarif.

He said, 'Iran has always been a friend to the people of Iraqi Kurdistan Region.'

Iranian companies stayed in the region in the past four years although the Region was experiencing hard times, but the situation is improving now, he added.

Zarif, who arrived in Iraqi Kurdistan on Tuesday from Baghdad, was welcomed by Nechirvan Barzani, the region's prime minister.

This is Zarif's second visit to Iraqi Kurdistan region since he held foreign ministerial office in mid August 2013.

He is accompanied by a high-ranking economic and political delegation and Iran's Ambassador in Baghdad Iraj Masjedjamei.

He is also scheduled to meet Masoud Barzani, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and Masrour Barzani, the head of the Kurdistan Region Security Council, as well.

Arriving in Baghdad on January 13, the Iranian foreign minister has so far visited some Iraqi officials, namely Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, President Barham Salih, Speaker of the Council of Representatives of Iraq Mohamed al-Halbousi, Head of the National Wisdom Movement of Iraq Ammar Hakim, Iraqi member of Parliament Hadi Al-Amiri and heads and members of Iraqi religious, political, cultural, ethnical and social bodies.

Zarif will leave Erbil for Sulaymaniyah, another main city in the Kurdish-dominated area, on Tuesday.