Indonesian Embassy in Baghdad Reopens

The Embassy of Indonesia in Baghdad is getting reopened. The Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister, Labib Abbawi, welcomed the Indonesian reactivation team’s visit on 29 June 2011. The team delivered a Letter of Introduction (LOI) from the Indonesian Foreign Minister to the Iraqi Foreign Minister. The LOI constitutes the appointment of Minister Counselor Dharmakirty SP as the Charge d’Affaires Ad Interim until the arrival of the Indonesian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Iraq.

Reactivating the Indonesian Embassy is a part of the two countries’ commitment to enhance their bilateral relations in the field of politics, economy as well as social and culture, as quoted from the press release of the Indonesian Embassy in Baghdad.

Till date, Indonesia and Iraq have ratified a total of 15 agreements and had a bilateral cooperation mechanism of Joint Commission Meeting. In the economic field, the trade between both countries has reached the value of US$ 83 million from January-March 2011. Indonesia-Iraq diplomatic relations officially started in 1950. In 1961, the two countries respectively opened their embassy in Jakarta and Baghdad.

The Indonesian Embassy in Baghdad has officially resumed its duty and function as the diplomatic and consular representative after being suspended from any activity in middle of March 2003.