A delegation from the Qatari government, headed by the Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry Ahmed bin Hassan al-Hamadi, visited Erbil earlier this week, officially opening the country’s consulate in the Kurdish capital on Sunday.
“The opening of the consulate will contribute to developing bilateral relations and increasing cooperation in various fields between Iraq and Qatar. It will also support common interests, and consolidate cultural, economic and political ties between the two sides,” the Iraqi foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.
Qatar reopened its Baghdad embassy in 2015 after shutting it during the 1990s Gulf War when several regional and world powers suspended diplomatic relations over Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. Doha opened its Erbil consulate last summer.
Hamadi was received by Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani ahead of the official opening of the consulate on Sunday.
“Both sides emphasized the importance of strengthening Qatar's relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. They also discussed opportunities and areas for Qatari investment in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, exchanging views on these matters,” read a statement from the Kurdistan Region presidency at the time.
The Qatari delegation “expressed readiness to invest and collaborate in various sectors, including energy, tourism, agriculture, education, and health,” it added.
