Officials from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and their mission in Baghdad came together in Erbil yesterday to officially open their embassy liaison office.

The Secretary-General of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mrs Renée Jones-Bos, was in the Kurdistan Region during the opening of the Erbil Embassy Liaison Office, which will be headed by Mr Jeroen Kelderhuis.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Dutch Ambassador to Iraq, Mr Harry Molenaar, welcomed government officials and diplomats to the ceremony, saying that the event marks a significant step in relations. He said, “I’m proud to host this event for two reasons; firstly because we conclude the first high-ranking official visit, and secondly of course is that we are officially launching our presence here in the Kurdistan Region.”

The Netherlands is the 26th country to have established a presence in Erbil.

Mrs Jones-Bos acknowledged the hardships that the Kurdish people faced under the former regime – many of whom fled to the Netherlands. She said, “We are here partly because of our good relations with the people of the Region and also because we think we have something to offer.”

She touched on the visible progress being achieved and the political maturity taking place, and praised Kurdistan’s leadership for their vision.

She also spoke of the monument in the Netherlands to commemorate the history and suffering of the Kurdish people.

By John Lee.

Bulgaria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikolay Mladenov (pictured), has opened a new Bulgarian Embassy in Baghdad.

The Minister’s Chief of Staff, Valeri Rachev, has been appointed Ambassador in Baghdad on a temporary basis until the Cabinet appoints a permanent representative.

Bulgaria had an Embassy in Iraq, but it was closed in 2003 over the war. The building is now inaccessible.

Bulgarian online news agency Dnevnik says the new building is outside the Green Zone but is near other diplomatic missions; the rent is $150 000 a year and the building is fully furnished.

The country also plans to open an Embassy in the near future in Erbil.

(Source: Novinite)

By John Lee.

Bulgaria has pledged to open an embassy in Iraq in January, according to a report from Novinite.

In an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio, senior Iraqi parlamentarian Humam Hamoudi said that Iraq and Bulgaria need to boost bilateral relations.

He added:

“Iraq is very interested in Bulgaria’s experience in the health sector, in agriculture and irrigation. And we have many Iraqi students who have graduated in Bulgaria

“Very much like Bulgaria 20 years ago, Iraq is a country in transition, and stability is only gradually achieved.“

(Source: Novinite)

By John Lee.

As part of a review of the United Kingdom’s diplomatic engagement with Iraq, which included the announcement today that the country’s consulate in Basra is to close, the UK’s Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, William Hague (pictured), has announced increased resources for the embassy in Baghdad and the consulate in Erbil.

In a statement issued today, the Minister said:

“We need to increase the amount of diplomatic resources we are able to concentrate in Iraq’s capital Bagdad. We are therefore expanding our Political Section to increase its reach across all of Iraq’s eighteen Governorates and help address some of the main issues preventing British businesses from entering into the Iraqi markets.

“We are recruiting additional staff in Baghdad to strengthen our UKTI office and help British businesses access markets throughout Iraq.“

He added that the Kurdistan Region continues to attract significant interest from British businesses:

“I am therefore increasing our staffing levels in Erbil. Today, for example, over 40 British companies are attending the Erbil International Trade Fair, with support from UK Trade and Investment (UKTI).

“We will recruit a new UKTI Commercial Attaché to expand the Consulate General’s already successful commercial Section. I have also made clear my firm intention that the Government should maintain the British Consulate-General Erbil on a permanent footing.“

By John Lee.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hoshyar Zebari, inaugurated the new Iraqi Consulate General in Frankfurt on Wednesday.

Present at the ceremony were; Representative of Hessen Province Premier, Rudolf Chris, the Iraqi Ambassador in Berlin, Representative of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Iraq’s File Manager, Accredited Consul Generals in Frankfurt, and prominent figures of the Iraqi community in Germany.

After the Iraqi flag raising ceremony, Minister Zebari recited a speech saying that the inauguration of the Consulate is part of the Ministry’s plan to expand its representations abroad, including Frankfurt for its economic importance and geographic position in the middle of Europe, in addition to providing services to the Iraqi community which left Iraq after being suppressed by the former dictatorial regime.

Minister Zebari referred that the Consulate will be providing its services to the community members without any discrimination and that it represents the new democratic Iraq.

Then, Dr. Rudolf Chris delivered a statement expressing greetings and congratulations for the inauguration of the new Consulate building, praising the relations between his Province and the Iraqi Government and mentioning the cultural cooperation between the universities of the Province and the universities of Baghdad and Salahuddine.

He also hailed Iraq’s history, the cradle of civilization, and expressed wishes that this deep rooted country would retrieve its regional and international role.

By John Lee.

Iraq’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hoshyar Zebari, inaugurated the new Iraqi Embassy building in the French capital, Paris, on Thursday following refurbishment work on the building.

Present at the ceremony were; Iraqi Prime Minister’s Counselor, Dr. Fadhil Mohammed Jawad, Minister Delegate for the French Foreign Ministry for Development Affairs, Pascal Canfin, Representative of Paris Mayor, a number of members of the French Senate and National Assembly, Chairman of the Iraqi-French Businessmen Board, Managers of Total and Alstom companies, prominent figures of the Iraqi community, and media outlets.

The Minister delivered a statement, after the Iraqi flag raising and cutting the tape ceremony, reviewing the Iraqi-French relations since the King Faisal (I) time and how these relations evolved in all domains, the cultural in particular.

Minister Zebari touched upon the dictatorial time when the Iraqi Embassy turned into a nest for the security services to hunt down Iraqis abroad and to violate the International Agreements, for example; the assassination of the French policeman in 1978.

The Minister said the inauguration of the Embassy in Paris is part of inaugurating 12 Embassies and Consulates this year, adding that the Ministry bought and rebuilt 80 buildings after the change in 2003 to reflect the new democratic Iraq.

For his part, Mr. Pascal Canfin recited a speech reviewing the Iraqi-French relations since the time of Charlemagne and the Abbasid Caliph Harun Al Rashid, referring that the inauguration of the Iraqi Embassy HQ is an important event in the development of the Iraqi-French relations after the change in the federal and democratic Iraq through the contribution of the French companies in rebuilding Iraq and the increasing bilateral cultural cooperation.

By John Lee.

Iraq’s Foreign Minister Hoshiar Zebari has re-opened the Iraqi Embassy in London on Tuesday following renovations.

He raised the Iraqi flag and cut the ribbon at a ceremony accompanied by Alistair Burt, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Minister of State for British Near Eastern Affairs, Baroness Emma Nicholson, and British MP Nadim Zahawi.

The British State Minister, Alistair Burt, stressed the importance of opening the Iraqi Embassy in the center of London, referring to the democratic development in Iraq, hailing the efforts that contributed in the return of Iraq to its rightful position on the Arab, regional, and international arena.

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Head of Foreign Relations officially opened a new Representation Office in Vienna on Saturday, making it the 13th KRG representation office abroad. At the same time, Austria’s Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister announced that Austria also plans to open a representation office in Erbil as well.

Minister Falah Mustafa opened the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) representation in Vienna along with Iraq’s Ambassador to Austria, Dr Surood Najib, and the Head of the Middle East Section with the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dr Friedrich Stift.

In his speech Minister Mustafa congratulated Dr Mustafa Ramazan, the new KRG Representative to Austria, on his assignment to his post. “This new KRG Representation Office, with its Head, Dr Mustafa Ramazan, will provide a direct point of contact for businesses, government, institutions and individuals from each of our respective sides, and we will use every resource at our disposal to further develop and support the relationships that this connection makes possible.”

Dr Ramazan said, “We open this office in line with the Constitution of the Republic of Iraq. It is within this framework that the KRG Representation in Austria will work vigorously to further deepen the existing relations between the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Austria.”

Minister Mustafa and Dr Ramazan recalled the historical relationship between the peoples of Kurdistan and Austria. Minister Mustafa said, “The government of the Republic of Austria was responsible for transporting and receiving the first 100 Kurdish refugees from refugee camps in Iran in the 1976 crisis. They ensured that these 100 individuals received an equal share of the opportunities afforded to all Austrian citizens, including housing and education. Many of these people have now become prominent members of the Austrian and Kurdish societies…The people of Kurdistan are, and will remain, tremendously grateful for this and for other significant assistance that you provided for us at a number of critical moments in our history during the 1970s, 80s and 90s.”

Minister Mustafa met Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger at the Austrian Foreign Ministry, accompanied by the KRG Representative and the Iraqi ambassador. At a press briefing after the meeting, Minister Spindelegger announced his country’s plans for a representation office in Erbil early next year. He said, “This is a great step forward. It will be a special trade office, where we can handle all the different issues of getting enterprises involved in more cooperation but at the same time to handle visa issues.”

Minister Mustafa also gave a keynote address at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna. He highlighted the history of the Kurds and their struggles for universal rights: “We will continue to utilize every political tool at our disposal to achieve a federal government of true partnership that is based on the federal constitution. However, we will not become a part of a return to the old Iraqi traditions of centralized power and authoritarianism. We in the Kurdistan Region have come too far, and suffered for too long to allow this to happen.

The speech was followed by a panel discussion between Minister Mustafa, Ms Maria Fantappie, a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, political analyst Mr Joost Hiltermann of the International Crises Group. It was moderated chaired Dr Cengiz Günay, a scientific researcher with the Austrian Institute for International Affairs (OIIP).

Minister Mustafa highlighted the tremendous growth that Kurdistan has seen in recent years, saying: “Since the formation of our regional government, and especially since the fall of the dictatorship, we have seen progress in all aspects of our daily life. Health care, education, electricity, agriculture, roads, housing, shopping centers, and general infrastructure have been dramatically improved, and continue to be developed.”

This was the KRG Austria Representation’s first official event and was coordinated with the think tank the Austrian Institute for International Affairs, and with the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna. Commenting on the discussion, Dr Ramazan said, “Hosting events such as this panel discussion are important for facilitating dialogue and cross-cultural understanding that is essential for gaining an appreciation of the realities that the Kurds face. I believe we were able to achieve that here today with our international panelists and look forward to continuing the ongoing dialogue between our peoples.”

During his three-day visit Minister Mustafa also attended the 5th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna and a reception hosted by Iraq’s Oil Minister Abdul-Kareem al-Luaibi, who holds the rotating presidency of the organisation.