Swedish embassy in Baghdad re-inaugurated
At a formal ceremony in the presence of the foreign ministers of Sweden and Iraq, Carl Bildt and Hoshyar Zebari, the Swedish embassy in Baghdad was re-inaugurated on 24 February.
A large number of guests and dignitaries took part in the opening ceremony. Several Iraqi ministers, ambassadors - including US Ambassador Christopher Hill - and UN representatives were among the guests. The Swedish and Iraqi national anthems were played and the countries' flags fluttered under the Iraqi sun.
"This is a sign of our commitment and desire for deeper and broader relations with Iraq," says Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt in a comment.
Increasing Sweden's diplomatic presence in Iraq is important for the political relations but also for Swedish development cooperation with Iraq and Swedish business interests in the country. There are many ties between our countries, not least because more than one per cent of Sweden's population comes from Iraq.
"There are more than 100 000 people in Sweden who in one way or another have an Iraqi background. And their commitment was particularly evident in connection with the major international Iraq conference in Stockholm in spring 2008. The conference itself was a clear demonstration of Sweden's commitment to the country. And as Iraq continues to stabilise, it also becomes an increasingly important economic partner," says Mr Bildt.
During his visit to Iraq, Foreign Minister Carl Bildt will also open the Swedish Consulate in Erbil in the Kurdistan region.
Sweden's presence in Iraq
Following the gradual improvement of the security situation in Iraq over the last few years, the Swedish embassy in Baghdad re-opened in July 2009 (after closing in 2001). In December 2009, an honorary consulate was opened in Erbil in the Iraqi region of Kurdistan.
