ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Ukraine’s ambassador to Iraq said on Sunday that Kyiv hopes to open a consulate in Erbil by the end of the year, describing the move as an opportunity to develop bilateral ties “in all spheres” despite his country’s ongoing war with Russia.
“We are still waiting for this decision. I strongly hope that soon, very soon, we will have this permission, and in this next step, I strongly hope that til the end of this year, we will officially open our diplomatic mission in Erbil,” Ambassador Ivan Dovhanych told Rudaw’s Sima Abkhezer.
Dovhanych explained that Kyiv approved the establishment of a consulate general in Erbil last year, but the process is still stalled by bureaucracy in Baghdad.
“I have to repeat that it depends on the central government in Baghdad. As far as I know, there is a delay because of the bureaucratic procedures. I hope that soon the process will be finalized, and it gives us the opportunity to take practical steps. But in Ukraine, we are ready, everything is ready to go to Erbil,” he said.
Ukraine wants to develop its ties with the Kurdistan Region “in all spheres,” specifically economic and trade relations, according to Dovhanych.
The envoy stressed that Ukraine is prepared “to go to Erbil, to open our consulate, and to start to work in the aim of developing our relations with the Kurdistan Region in all spheres, first of all in economy and trade.”
Trade ties
Ukraine considers Iraq a “traditional friend,” according to Dovhanych, who pointed to trade as an area where relations are “developing rapidly” after sharp wartime losses.
Before Russia’s attacks in 2022, annual bilateral trade stood at around $700 million. That figure fell to about $190 million the following year, he said, but has since recovered to an expected $300 million in 2025.
“It’s a witness that our business communities are seeing one another, and economic relations are in the process of rebirth,” he stated.
Bizhar Zubair contributed to this report.
