The opening ceremony of Armenia’s consulate in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq took place yesterday.

Consul General of the Republic of Armenia in Erbil Arshak Manukyan presided over the opening ceremony and said that in recent months, due to active contacts with partners of Iraqi Kurdistan, an agenda of mutual interest has been drafted.

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Artak Apitonyan, in his remarks, noted that the dynamically developing relations between Armenia and Iraqi Kurdistan are based on the strong historical ties and friendship of the two peoples.

"Today is really a significant event in the history of Armenian-Iraqi relations. Armenia has always attached great importance to the development of relations with the Republic of Iraq, the culmination of which is the start of the work of the Consulate General of the Republic of Armenia in Erbil. Armenians have settled in this country at various stages of history, including in Iraqi Kurdistan, and have received exceptionally friendly treatment from the authorities. Therefore, it is not accidental today that the Armenian community of thousands continues to live here, contributing to the development of the country of which it is a citizen,” Apitonyan said.

Safin Dizaye, of behalf of the KRG, praised the decision of Armenia to establish a Consulate General in Erbil and promised full support on behalf of the Government of Iraqi Kurdistan.

The event was attended by members of the KRG, members of parliament, senior leaders, heads of diplomatic missions accredited in Iraq, representatives of international organizations and journalists.