Switzerland - Iraq Swiss embassy in Iraq reopens

Switzerland has an embassy in Baghdad for the first time since 1991. The Swiss representation in the Iraqi capital reopened on Tuesday. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs cites the improved security situation as the main reason for this.

Iraq is at the beginning of an economic development phase and is playing an increasingly important role in the region as a bridge builder and mediator, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) wrote in a press release.

With its energy resources, Iraq offers interesting long-term export and investment opportunities for Swiss companies, it said. Cooperation in the area of migration is another priority for Switzerland.

According to the information provided, the embassy in Baghdad is primarily responsible for political and diplomatic tasks. The embassy in the Jordanian capital Amman will remain responsible for consular matters and visa inquiries.

The Swiss embassy in Iraq was closed in 1991 due to the Gulf War following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. After the overthrow of then President Saddam Hussein in 2003 by a US-led military coalition, civil war-like conditions prevailed in the country for years. In 2014, the Islamic State terrorist militia took control of Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, and it was not recaptured by government troops until 2017.