JEDDAH, 15 February 2007 — Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said yesterday that he was hopeful that Saudi Arabia would help restore full diplomatic relations by opening its missions in his country “at the time it finds most suitable.”
“We have taken the first initiative in re-establishing full diplomatic missions after 17 years, by opening our embassy in Riyadh on Tuesday and consulate on Wednesday. We hope the Kingdom will follow suit,” the minister said at the formal opening of the Iraqi Consulate General.
“With the reopening of our missions in the Kingdom, we are able to extend our hands of friendship, which will help resolve a number of key issues,” he said. “The presence of the consulate here essentially will help us streamline the Haj and Umrah traffic from Iraq.”
Since the closure of its diplomatic missions in the Kingdom and elsewhere after the Gulf War in the 1990s, Iraq has been encountering many difficulties, he said. “I am personally pleased that we have taken the first step in re-establishing our missions here. We hope to reopen our missions elsewhere in the Arab world, the Middle East and also in many countries worldwide,” he said.
Speaking to reporters later, the minister said Iraqis favored the presence of American forces in their country due to security considerations.
Asked whether he had discussed with Saudi authorities the Kingdom’s plans for reopening diplomatic missions in Iraq, the minister said: “We want the Kingdom to follow suit whenever it finds feasible. We’ve taken the initiative because we need to address our pressing needs.”
“Due to lack of cooperation, and lack of coordination, the two countries have not been able to help one another in many matters,” he said, adding that there was greater need for intelligence sharing.
He said the reopening of the embassy was based on an initiative from the Iraqi government to restore full diplomatic relations with Arab and Islamic countries, Saudi Arabia being the first.
Muhammad A. Tayeb, director general of the Foreign Ministry in the Makkah region, speaking as the guest of honor, congratulated the Iraqi government on opening their missions after a long gap of time. “The development will surely go a long way in further improving bilateral ties,” he said.
Iraqi Consul General Ajwad A. Taha Hamed in his welcome address described the opening of the consulate as an important step toward strengthening bilateral relations.
Invitees included consuls general from various countries, members of the Iraqi community and local businessmen.
