Baghdad calls on Finland to reopen its embassy in Iraq

The Iraqi foreign minister Naji Sabri stressed on Tuesday Iraq's desire to strengthen its relations with Finland, stressing the importance of re-opening the Finnish embassy in Baghdad.

The Iraqi news agency said that this was the subject of discussions between minister Sabri with a Finnish Parliamentary delegation, chaired by the deputy speaker of Parliament in Finland as well as exchanging information and visits between officials in the two countries.

Sabri stressed Iraq's desire to expand and develop its relations with Finland in all area for the interests of the two countries. He stressed the importance of reopening the Finnish embassy in Baghdad. The Agency explained that the Iraqi officials explained to the visiting Finnish delegation the consequences of the imposed sanctions on Iraq and the increasing problems in the health sectors in Iraq and the increase in the mortality rate.

Meanwhile, an official source at the Iraqi telecommunications establishment said on Tuesday that the UN sanctions committee approved contracts at a cost of USD 76 million Iraq had signed with the French " Alcatel " group to renovate the telecommunications networking.