JEDDAH, 4 September 2005 — The Iraqi Embassy in Riyadh will be reopened within a month, the country’s Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari announced yesterday. “Work will start in our embassy in Saudi Arabia within a month at the most because we urgenly need to restore political representation inside the Kingdom,” he said.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, a sister publication of Arab News, Zebari said his country had already refurbished its embassy in Riyadh as well as the consulate in Jeddah.
He emphasized Iraq’s intent to safeguard its Arab and Islamic identity. Referring to the recent remarks by Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa threatening to suspend Iraq from the 22-member organization, he said Moussa’s statement drew angry reaction from the Iraqis who considered it as interference in the country’s internal affairs.
He blasted the Arab League’s lukewarm attitude toward his country ever since the downfall of Saddam Hussein. However, Zebari stressed Iraq’s affinity to the Arab League as it was one of the bloc’s founder members.
He said Moussa’s controversial statement would be raised at the next Arab League meeting. “The decision to suspend Iraq must be taken by all Arab countries. It should not be the decision of a single individual,” he explained.
