Middle East News
German Chancellor Merkel meets Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Maliki
Jul 22, 2008, 11:55 GMT
Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel held talks for more than an hour with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Berlin Tuesday, discussing enhanced economic ties between the two countries.
Berlin made clear ahead of Al-Maliki's first visit that it was seeking stronger ties with Baghdad.
On Monday, the German Foreign Ministry said it was to open a consulate-general next year with a senior diplomat in charge in Arbil, in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq.
Germany maintains an embassy in Baghdad, which has been hampered in its work by its location outside the most secure, US-guarded part of the city, the Green Zone.
Economy Minister Michael Glos paid a surprise visit to Baghdad this month, becoming the first German minister to do so since the 2003 invasion.
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