Undersecretary for Political Planning Meets New Dutch Ambassador to Iraq

The Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Political Planning Ambassador Dr. Hisham Al Alawi, received the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Iraq Ms. Janet Alberda, on 27 October 2024, to discuss a number of issues of common concern between the two countries.

Undersecretary Al Alawi stressed the significance of the close ties between the two countries, and the Notable progress they have witnessed in recent years, especially after the visit of the Prime Minister to The Hague last February. He also referred to the productive cooperation across various fields, especially in the sectors of agriculture and water resources, commending the efforts of the Iraqi Embassy in strengthening this cooperation by organizing visits by Iraqi delegations at ministerial level and arranging meetings with Dutch counterpart institutions. He explained that these efforts resulted in the formation of the “Iraqi-Dutch Council for Agriculture and Water”, in addition to advancing political relations and exchanging visits by officials and high-level delegations.

The Undersecretary also touched on cooperation in the field of higher education, as the Netherlands received delegations from Iraqi universities to enhance academic cooperation with prestigious Dutch universities, which led to the establishment of constructive academic partnerships.

The two sides discussed means of expanding joint economic cooperation, with a focus on attracting Dutch companies to invest in Iraq. Ambassador Alberda expressed the interest of some Dutch companies in investing in the transportation and ports sectors, given their extensive experience in this field. The Undersecretary explained that the Iraqi government seeks to develop ports, especially with the approaching opening of Al Faw Grand Port, and the implementation of the Development Road Project.

As well Ambassador Alberda, touched on the security cooperation, noting that there are about 300 Dutch military advisors and trainers working within the coalition forces.

The Undersecretary expressed his aspiration to enhance academic cooperation between the two countries’ foreign ministries, noting the participation of a large number of Iraqi diplomats in diplomatic courses in the Netherlands, funded by the Dutch Foreign Ministry, which contributed to developing their diplomatic skills.

At the end of the meeting, the Ambassador presented a draft memorandum of understanding to Undersecretary Al Alawi, for the purpose of forming a Joint Higher Ministerial Committee between the two countries, expressing her hope to sign it soon to pave the way for holding the first meeting of the committee in the near future.