Qatar opens consulate in Erbil
A large gathering of representatives of Arab and foreign consulates in Erbil attended the opening ceremony of the Qatari Consulate. Photo: Al-Jazeera
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Qatar opened on Sunday its Consulate General in Erbil, the capital city of Iraqi Kurdistan, in the presence of the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Masrour Barzani, and the Secretary-General of the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Al-Hammadi.
The opening ceremony was attended by a large gathering of representatives of Arab and foreign consulates in Erbil, ministers, political figures, and officials.
In a speech he delivered during the opening ceremony, Barzani said that the opening of the consulate is a step towards the greater development of relations between Iraqi Kurdistan and Qatar in areas of trade, agriculture, culture, and higher education.
Barzani indicated that the Kurdistan region of Iraq can benefit from Qatar’s rich experience in investment, construction, energy, and economic activities.
Al-Hammadi explained that the opening of the consulate reflects the growing relations between Qatar and Iraq, which have been developing in political, investment, economic, and cultural fields and contributed to the development process in both Qatar and Iraqi Kurdistan.
Al-Hammadi added that the consulate’s opening aligns with Qatar’s growing investments in Iraq and the Kurdistan region of Iraq, especially since the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, visited the country last June and agreements were reached between the two sides in the energy sector.
The opening of the consulate comes after the Qatari Foreign Ministry announced last October that Hussein bin Ali Al-Fadhala had officially presented his credentials to begin his duties as Qatar’s consul in Erbil.