The Republic of Iraq and Ukraine: long lasting friendship and revamped cooperation

Charge d’Affaires of the Republic of Iraq to Ukraine,

Minister Plenipotentiary Mr. Kazem Tarek Adil Kazem

 

On December 16, 2024, the Republic of Iraq and Ukraine will commemorate the 32nd anniversary of the official establishment of diplomatic relations, yet indeed, the relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries date back to the sixties of the last century. These relations are continually developing in various fields and have strengthened considerably since Ukraine's independence on August 24, 1991, as, since the official opening of its headquarters in the capital, Kyiv, on June 22, 2009, the Embassy has been keen to enhance cooperation in the political, economic, cultural and other fields, that serves the common interests. Despite the outbreak of the russian-Ukrainian war on February 24, 2022, the Iraqi Embassy continued to perform its diplomatic duties in Ukraine and to care for the interests of the local Iraqi community.

Within the history of the diplomatic relations between our two countries, there have been held a great many bilateral events, activities and mutual visits, along with numerous meetings and contacts between Iraqi and Ukrainian officials at various levels:

  • E. Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq / Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Fuad Hussein met Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Mr. Dmytro Kuleba on the sidelines of the "Munich Security Conference" on February 18, 2023, while further the Ukrainian Foreign Minister visited Iraq on April 17, 2023;
  • On April 10, 2023, H.E. Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani received a phone call from President of Ukraine Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the two sides met on the sidelines of the 32nd Arab League Summit held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on May 19, 2023;
  • E. Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq received a second phone call from President of Ukraine on May 21, 2024, that was followed by the participation of H.E. Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq / Minister of Foreign Affairs in the First Ukraine Peace Summit, held in Switzerland on June 15-16, 2024. On the sidelines of the conference, he met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
  • In coordination with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq and Ukraine, the Embassy is working on the arrangement of the 4th round of the Political Consultations in the near future aiming at strengthening relations between the two sides and coordinating their positions at international forums regarding the issues of common interest.
  • On June 21, 2024, President of Ukraine Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a presidential decree appointing Mr. Ivan Dovhanych as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of Iraq, which will contribute to the development of the diplomatic relations and their further enhancement.
  • In terms of strengthening the relations between the two countries in other areas, there was held a virtual meeting between H.E. Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq / Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Fuad Hussein and First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine / Minister of Economics / Head of the Ukrainian Part of the Iraqi-Ukrainian Joint Commission on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation Ms. Yuliia Svyrydenko on August 9, 2023. The mentioned Commission was established in 2001. Four sessions of the Joint Commission have been held between Baghdad and Kyiv, the latest one (the 4th) taking place in Baghdad in December 2012. The Embassy is actively working on the arrangement of the meetings of the Commission's fifth session early in the new year (2025), in coordination with the Iraqi and Ukrainian sides.

Through extensive meetings with the Ukrainian side, the Embassy continues to enhance trade and economic cooperation as well as to increase bilateral trade rates by means of expanding the scope of exchange of agricultural, food and industrial goods and products needed by the Iraqi markets, and by excluding intermediaries from the trade and economic cooperation processes between the two countries, along with the Iraqi-Ukrainian Business Council reactivation and encouraging companies and businessmen of the both countries to participate in economic exhibitions and conferences held in Iraq and Ukraine, noting that the majority of the trade exchanges between the Republic of Iraq and Ukraine are carried out through the private sector in both countries.

It is worth mentioning that some private Ukrainian companies perform commercial and economic activities in Iraqi Kurdistan. Besides, Ukrainian companies participated in the implementation of small housing projects in Baghdad, as well as road projects, rehabilitation of electricity networks and development of oil fields in Southern Iraq.

Regarding the parliamentary relations, there are parliamentary friendship groups between the two countries. The Embassy has held a number of meetings with the Head of the Deputy Friendship Group with the Republic of Iraq in the Ukrainian Parliament, which focused on the issues of common interest – foremost bilateral inter-parliamentary cooperation and arranging the mutual visits between the two parliamentary friendship groups, exchanging parliamentary experience, as well as coordination between the Council of Representatives of the Republic of Iraq and Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in order to provide interaction between the MPs of the two countries and as for the role played by the Deputy Friendship Groups.

The Embassy follows up the procedures related to the agreements and memoranda of understanding signed between the two countries. At the same time, the Embassy coordinates, with the relevant authorities of the two countries, the procedures for further signing and entering into force of draft agreements and memoranda of understanding in various fields.

The Embassy places great emphasis on the development of the bilateral cooperation in educational, scientific and academic fields via conducting extensive meetings with the officials of Ukraine's Ministry of Education and Science to explore ways of building up bilateral cooperation in these areas as well as by means of activating the Memorandum of Understanding for Educational and Scientific Cooperation signed between the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Republic of Iraq and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in 2013, along with expanding direct contacts and academic cooperation, exchanging scientific experience and the possibility of holding joint scientific conferences between Iraqi universities and prestigious Ukrainian educational institutions.

The Embassy paid a number of visits to various prestigious Ukrainian universities, as well as a lot of university rectors visited Embassy’s headquarters to discuss the affairs of the Iraqi students studying in Ukrainian educational institutions, and the ways to overcome the difficulties they face in Ukraine, along with the possibility of enhancing cooperation between Ukrainian universities and Iraqi educational institutions, in particular exchanging of scientific and academic experience, curricula, research and scientific cadres, arranging qualification and training courses for teaching cadres, visit exchange, and establishing twinning relations between the prominent Ukrainian universities and their Iraqi counterparts).

Regarding the position of the Republic of Iraq towards the russian-Ukrainian war, we would like to clarify that our country adopts a neutral position towards the war, that is to not to stand with one party against the other,  in accordance with the provisions of the Iraqi Constitution; and which calls for dialogue and resolving disputes through peaceful means with the participation of all parties to the conflict, as well as for supporting efforts aimed at ending the ongoing war and strengthening peace initiatives aimed at finding a real and lasting solution to the conflict, in a manner that ensures respect for the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter.

It is worth noting that the Arab Ministerial Contact Group on the russian-Ukrainian Crisis (formed by the Council of Ministers of the League of Arab States in March 2022), including Iraq, has presented a peace initiative to resolve the russian-Ukrainian conflict. The Group held a meeting with former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Mr. Dmytro Kuleba in the Polish capital of Warsaw on April 5, 2022 to discuss ways to resolve the crisis. The above-mentioned meeting came after the Group’s meeting with russian Foreign Minister sergey lavrov in moscow. The initiative aims at listening to all relevant parties and exchanging views to reach a solution that aims to de-escalation, self-control, ceasefire, work to restore stability, to end the existing humanitarian crisis, to end the war between russia and Ukraine, to sit at the dialogue and negotiation table under the auspices of the United Nations, and to start a serious dialogue to reach understanding that guarantees the interests of all parties.

In conclusion, the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq to Ukraine is pleased to extend its congratulations to the friendly People of Ukraine on the occasion of the 32nd Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Iraq and Ukraine, wishing that peace would prevail throughout Ukraine and the relations of friendship and cooperation between our two countries would strengthen and enhance.

A joint project of the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Ukraine and Мagazine