The Swiss voice in the world since 1935
Top stories
Stay in touch with Switzerland

Swiss embassy in Iraq reopens

Switzerland reopens embassy in Iraq
Switzerland reopened its embassy in Iraq in early September. Keystone-SDA

Switzerland has an embassy in Baghdad for the first time since 1991. The Swiss representation in the Iraqi capital reopened on Tuesday. The foreign ministry cites the improved security situation as the main reason.

+ Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox

Iraq is at the beginning of a phase of economic development 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.

More

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, the second largest city in Iraq, and it was only recaptured by government troops in 2017.

Translated from German by DeepL/mga

This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.

If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, if you want to learn more about how we use technology, click here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

The start of the holiday season means long traffic jams on the Gotthard

More

Gotthard traffic queue hits 11km at start of holiday season

This content was published on The start of the summer holidays saw a long traffic jam in front of the Gotthard tunnel on Saturday. Traffic jams between Erstfeld and Göschenen in canton Uri were up to 11 kilometres long early in the morning.

Read more: Gotthard traffic queue hits 11km at start of holiday season
Study: Rhine could become up to 4.2 degrees warmer by 2100

More

Rhine could warm by 4°C by 2100, scientists warn

This content was published on The water temperature of the Rhine River could rise by up to 4.2° degrees Celsius by the end of the century due to the warming planet, scientists warn.

Read more: Rhine could warm by 4°C by 2100, scientists warn
'Leopard 1 A5' combat tanks in Germany.

More

Switzerland eyes joining EU rearmament programme

This content was published on The Federal Council wants to explore the possibilities of joining the European Union’s €800-billion rearmament programme without compromising Swiss neutrality.

Read more: Switzerland eyes joining EU rearmament programme
Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day

More

Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day

This content was published on On July 14, the Swiss Air Force will take part in the traditional air parade in Paris to mark the French bank holidays with an F/A-18 fighter jet. This is a first for Switzerland.

Read more: Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR