Ministry of Foreign Affairs Honours a Number of Its Retired Ambassadors

On Monday, September 5, 2022, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a big event to honour the retired ambassadors, under the auspices of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Fuad Hussein, with the presence of the Undersecretaries of the Ministry. On this occasion, His Excellency Fuad Hussein delivered a speech in which he said:

In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful

Excellencies

Distinguished guests

Good morning to everyone

I am pleased to meet you on this day to honour a distinguished national elite of retired ambassadors of ladies and gentlemen who have worked with dedication and devotion throughout their career to defend the interests of Iraq and consolidate our dear country’s relations with the various countries of the world.

This event today is the first initiative organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since its foundation. It is returning the favour and recognition of the right to honor the ambassadors during their lifetime.

Ladies and gentlemen

Over the past years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sought to promote Iraq’s regional and international relations, in addition to the  high-level diplomatic visits and the reception of several heads of states and officials on Iraqi soil, culminating in the historic visit of the Pope of the Vatican in March 2021. Iraq hosted several important meetings, of a regional and international nature to discuss the development of economic development and creating positive areas for joint diplomatic action between the countries of the region, this had happened at the Baghdad Summit for Partnership and Cooperation.

In addition, the significant efforts that had been exerted to defuse tensions between some countries in the region and the meetings which were held in Baghdad in this regard.

The diplomatic effort has not been confined to this extent, yet Iraq participated in several important meetings at the level of presidents, including the Jeddah summit to enhance the regional cooperation, as well as the five-party summit that was held in Egypt recently.

This distinguished presence of Iraq and the wide and active participation in such important files is regarded as a clear proof of the vitality and effectiveness of Iraqi diplomacy and its intense activity. Perhaps all of this would not have happened without the concerted national efforts at the level of state institutions supporting the ministry’s efforts.

Ladies and gentlemen

Despite the significant challenges that Iraq faces, the clear determination to support the democracy building is the main goal for all without exception. If the good efforts in overcoming the internal adversities lay on the shoulders of the various political and social parties, the external diplomatic effort is the real support to the government’s work, as it works to win the international support for the survival of the state and make the political experiment a success. And this undoubtedly happened owing to the outstanding performance of our diplomats in the ministry and in the missions, which we aspire to develop continuously to serve the higher national interests of the Iraqi state. Without doubt, we do not forget the good efforts exerted by the retired ambassadors, during their productive working years in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which were an integral part of the diplomatic successes achieved by the state since 2003.

Ladies and gentlemen

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has developed several priorities to realise the state’s goals. One of those priorities is rebuilding the institutions of the Ministry and keeping pace with the progress in the diplomatic performance of foreign ministries around the world. The Ministry is working, in addition to developing the performance of its diplomats, by providing them with the expertise and diplomatic qualification in accordance with the latest standards of training and performance improvement. It is currently working on selecting the best from university graduates in equal shares for the Iraqi governorates, and this is a new development in the ministry through a higher committee which has been formed to develop the best foundations and criteria for selecting the required competencies through high-proficiency level.

I must commend and refer to the significant efforts that have been achieved at the Departments of the Ministry in keeping pace with the technological progress in the world and introducing advanced technical programmes in the performance of some corner stones in the Ministry, such as the Foreign Service Institute, the Department of Consular Affairs and the Section of Human Resources in the Administrative and Financial Departments, which contributed clearly to facilitating the provision of services and the speed and accuracy of completing applications. For example, the modern technical applications that have been achieved in the Department of Consular Affairs, and the launch of a number of service programmes  designed by the Ministry’s staff through the Communications Department that contributed to the quick delivery of services to citizens, is an important achievement that deserves to pay a tribute to the supervisors of these programmes. Add to this, the development in the Foreign Service Institute during the past years in terms of the digital area, as many activities and events, including rehabilitation and promotion courses, that are accomplished with advanced technological programmes, reflecting positively on the performance of the Ministry’s employees.

In addition, the cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the various Iraqi ministries and institutions has been clear and fruitful through the organisation of events, joint activities and training courses in the art of negotiation, protocol and etiquette.

In conclusion, it is my pleasure to address again the honorable ladies and gentlemen of the retired ambassadors, and I extend my thanks and appreciation to them for their faithful national work over the past years. I also thank their true participation which contributed to the success of this event, I would also like to announce through this event that the Ministry would not spare the experiences which were gained by the ambassadors during their diplomatic service and will work to benefit from it in accordance with an ambitious programme through the development and rehabilitation courses that the Ministry holds for all employees to improve their job performance, as the outcome of diplomatic experiences and the expertise of ambassadors are important lessons that all our employees are supposed to learn from them. The communication between diplomatic generations is evidence of the state’s vitality in benefiting from the efforts of the members of the Ministry.

May peace be upon you