Iraq
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (left) and Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, head of Switzerland’s Department of Home Affairs (right) shake hands during a ceremony to return Assyrian artifacts on May 24, 2024. Photo: Iraqi state media
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Switzerland reopened its embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Tuesday, 33 years after it closed its diplomatic mission in the country, in a step aimed at strengthening bilateral ties, especially on migration issues.
The reopening of the embassy “aims to strengthen bilateral relations with Iraq and deepen cooperation in economic, security and migration matters,” according to a statement from the Swiss foreign ministry.
The statement lauded Iraq’s security, economic, and political landscape improvements in recent years, and highlighted Baghdad’s role as an important regional player with close relations to Iran, the Gulf, and the United States.
“Iraq is resolutely looking to the future and undertaking ambitious economic and structural reforms. The country could soon realise its economic potential, previously undermined by years of war,” it added.
Bern also aims to boost cooperation on migration issues with Baghdad, which has gradually adopted a “more receptive stance” on the readmission of Iraqi nationals, the foreign ministry noted, adding that the number of Iraqi asylum applications in Switzerland is “comparatively high.”
The two countries signed a migration agreement in 2024 aimed at strengthening cooperation in various fields.
A statement from the Iraqi foreign ministry emphasized that "the reopening of the Swiss Embassy represents a positive mark in the course of diplomatic relations."
Diplomatic relations between Baghdad and Bern date back to 1936, when Switzerland opened a consulate in the Iraqi capital. The European country closed its embassy in Baghdad in 1991 due to security concerns during the Gulf War.
A liaison office was opened in 2000, but it was shut down in 2008 over security concerns.
The Swiss and Iraqi foreign ministers signed a memorandum of understanding in Baghdad in 2021, agreeing to establish “political consultations” as part of developing ties between the two countries.
Over 120 Swiss nationals live in Iraq, according to data in 2023 from the Swiss foreign ministry.
Updated at 9:19 p.m. with Iraq's statement
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