Austria to reopen its embassy in Baghdad
The Iraqi capital, Baghdad. Photo: IWP/The University of Iowa
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday that Austria decided to reopen its embassy in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
“In confirmation of Iraq’s partnerships, and in pursuit of a vision that leads to more openness and enhanced cooperation, and to culminate the successive efforts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Austria decided to reopen its embassy in Baghdad starting from September 2022,” the spokesperson of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign affairs, Ahmed al-Sahhaf, said in a statement.
“The goal of restoring its diplomatic presence in Baghdad stems from Austria’s determination to develop the long and excellent bilateral relations between the two countries,” Sahhaf added.
The Austrian embassy in Baghdad has been closed since 1991, and there has been no Austrian diplomatic representation in Iraq since that date.
In January 1991, western diplomats left Baghdad including the Austrian ambassador, according to Kurier.
“The Austrian embassy in Baghdad has been closed for security reasons,” the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned on its website. It added that consulate duties for the official region of Iraq are handled by the Austrian Embassy in Amman.