The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced that it will soon reopen its embassy in the capital of Iraq, Baghdad that was shut down after one of its diplomats was kidnapped and thereafter freed almost two years back. This declaration was made on Thursday 6 June by the Foreign Minister of UAE, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan who is presently on a visit to Iraq.   

 

The state-run Emirates News Agency (WAM) quoted the USE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah as saying that 'the new ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Iraq will also be named soon.' If this happens, then UAE will become the very first Arab country to resume relations with Baghdad after the 2005 incident when an Egyptian ambassador to that war-ravaged country was killed.

 

The Prime Minister of Iraq, Nouri Maliki on the other hand has responded saying that his government is interested in keeping the best relations with USE at all levels. Mr Maliki also said he hopes that the UAE foreign minister's visit to Baghdad will result in more robust relationship in economic, trade and investment spheres between Iraq and UAE. The Iraqi PM has also invited UAE companies to come and invest in the country.