Morocco reopens embassy in Baghdad
The Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuad Hussein and the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita during a joint press conference. Photo: Iraqi Foreign Ministry.
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Moroccan Foreign Minister arrived in Baghdad on Saturday to reopen the Moroccan embassy in Iraq after 18 years of closure, in a visit described as historic, marking the start of a new phase of cooperation, especially in the economic field.
The Moroccan embassy in Baghdad closed in 2005 and moved to the Jordanian capital, Amman, because of the deteriorating security situation in Iraq at that time, according to the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Iraq witnessed nearly two decades of conflicts after the U.S. invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003.
During his reception in Baghdad, the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, indicated that the reopening of the embassy after 18 years of closure is a strong signal reflecting Morocco’s confidence in Iraq, its stability and the positive path it has taken.
The visit is the first by a Moroccan foreign minister in nearly 25 years, and the first by a Moroccan government official in at least two decades.
Rabat closed its embassy in Baghdad in the fall of 2005 after Al-Qaeda terrorists kidnapped two of the embassy’s employees, but the security situation in Iraq is now improving.
In a joint press conference with his Moroccan counterpart, the Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, called for an economic partnership and the facilitation of entry procedures for Iraqis to Morocco, especially businessmen.
Hussein mentioned that reopening the Moroccan embassy in Baghdad is an important step to build and develop relations and friendship between the two countries.
Hussein stated that he wants to encourage trade and economic cooperation in various fields.
“We talked about creating a mechanism to bring together businessmen and investors from both sides, and establishing a forum for businessmen from both countries,” Hussein elaborated.
The Iraqi Foreign Minister also expressed his country’s support for the territorial integrity of Morocco and for the efforts of the United Nations to reach a final solution to the Western Sahara issue.