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The Embassy of Iraq in Berlin |
Contact
Address: Botschaft der Republik irak. Pacelliallee 19-21, D-14195. Berlin
Tel.: +49-(0)30-81488100
+49-(0)30-81488 115
+49-(0)30-81488 130
Fax: 030-81488 222
E-mail: info@iraqiembassy-berlin.de
The Ambassador
Amb. Luqman Abdul Rahim Al-Faily
Luqman Abdul Rahim Al-Faily, born in Iraq, holds a Bachelor’s in Accounting Sciences and Mathematics from Manchester Metropolitan University (1989), an MBA in Technical Management (2006), and a Higher Diploma in Commercial and Industrial Accounting (2007). He worked in the UK as Senior Director at Ceridian Centrefile (1999–2006) and IT Program Manager at EDS Limited (2006–2009). At Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he served as Ambassador to Japan (2010–2013), the United States (2013–2016), and has been Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotenciary to Germany since August 2021. He was Head of the Legal Department (2019–2020), Head of the Americas Department (2019–2021), Supervisor of the Minister’s Office (2020–2021), and spokesperson for President Barham Salih (2018–2019). A PMP member since 2009, he authored Between Two Generations (2021) and Building Iraq (2019, 2021). Married, Al-Faily lived in the UK for over 20 years, advocating for democracy and Iraq’s free-market principles through extensive media and international engagements.
History
Germany and Iraq enjoy close and friendly relations that date back to well before the founding of the modern Iraqi state. Since the regime change in 2003, relations have increasingly intensified and are now founded on numerous mutual high-level visits. The traditionally close economic ties between Germany and Iraq can be instrumental in helping to reconstruct the country’s infrastructure and basic economic services, thus having a positive impact on the country’s political stabilisation. After a continuous increase in bilateral trade in recent years, German imports and exports have been stagnant, and have even declined slightly of late owing to the uncertainty in the country. In 2014, German exports to Iraq were worth EUR 1.2 billion and German imports from Iraq accumulated to EUR 438 million. The Iraqi market also offers huge potential for German business. A particular priority for the Federal Government is reforming the vocational training sector. It is implementing a whole range of measures as part of its assistance. The Federal Government also provides support to two German Liaison Offices for Industry and Commerce in Iraq (DWI), based in Erbil and Baghdad.
Germany and Iraq cooperate closely in both the cultural and educational sectors. The overall conditions for cultural work in Iraq are difficult on account of the tense security situation. Nevertheless, over the past few years the Federal Government has succeeded in markedly stepping up its engagement there, thus continuing a long tradition of cultural cooperation with Iraq, particularly in higher education through university partnerships and the awarding of scholarships by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
