Switzerland said on Tuesday Iraq was welcome to reopen its Bern embassy, closed in 1990 shortly before the Gulf War for "administrative and logistical" reasons. A government spokeswoman said Iraq had approached the Swiss authorities last February to seek its reopening.
"If Iraq wishes to reinforce its presence in Switzerland, the Swiss authorities are not against this," said foreign ministry spokeswoman Daniela Stoffel, according to AFP.
Iraq kept open its diplomatic mission to the United Nations in Geneva. The spokeswoman said Switzerland had never broken off diplomatic ties with Baghdad and that although it had closed its Baghdad embassy in 1991, it had since used the premises as a humanitarian liaison office. (Albawaba.com)
