Austria reopens its embassy in Baghdad
The Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, and the Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexander Schallenberg, during a joint press conference. Photo: Kurdistan24
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexander Schallenberg, announced on Tuesday that the Austrian embassy in Baghdad has been reopened.
During a joint press conference with the Iraqi Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, Schallenberg explained that his visit to Baghdad took place to reopen his country’s embassy in Iraq and to discuss political, economic, and security issues.
Schallenberg confirmed that he would sign an agreement related to security in Iraq, indicating that Iraq plays an important role in the region’s stability and that his visit to Iraq promoted relations in several areas.
Hussein illustrated that he discussed with his Austrian counterpart operating flights by Austrian Airlines to Iraq, indicating that the step is very important to directly connect Iraq with Europe.
The Austrian Foreign Minister also met with the Iraqi President, Abdul Latif Rashid, where they discussed ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries.
The Iraqi President noted that the security situation in Iraq is stable and that the government is focusing on reconstruction and the provision of a business-friendly atmosphere to encourage investment, support the private sector, develop infrastructure, and improve living standards in Iraq.
The Austrian official stressed the need to coordinate with Iraq in areas related to climate challenges, highlighting his country’s eagerness to cooperate with Iraq in water management to allow Iraq to benefit from Austria’s experiences applied on the Danube River to address water shortages.
The Iraqi President emphasized the importance of benefiting from international experiences related to water management, given that Iraq is suffering from a severe water crisis and a lack of laws regulating the flow of water across borders.