Tunisia Joins Growing List of Countries with Missions, Air Links with Erbil

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Tunisia is opening a diplomatic mission in the Kurdistan Region and will start direct flights next month, the Tunisian Ambassador to Iraq Samir Jamai said on a visit to Erbil on Sunday.

“We hope this step will mark the start of trade, cultural and tourism ties between the two sides,” Jamai said after meeting officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

“As the first step, we will open an embassy office in the Kurdistan Region, and for this we have coordinated with the federal Iraqi ministry of foreign affairs," he said. He added that, at the beginning of June, direct flights would start between Tunisia and the Kurdistan Region.

The autonomous Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq is connected by air with more than 25 cities around the world. Fifteen major carriers, including Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways and Emirates fly into Erbil.

Though it is officially part of Iraq, the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Foreign Relations under Falah Mustafa has succeeded in building strong diplomatic relations with many foreign countries, chiefly in Europe and the Middle East.

Last week, the head of the European Union delegation to Iraq, Ambassador Jana Hybaskova, said that a permanent EU mission in Erbil was “essential,” because EU members have already established different levels of diplomatic representation.

According to the EU ambassador, the bloc is working for a permanent presence in the Kurdistan Region.

Currently, 13 EU members, including the UK, France and Germany have established diplomatic missions at different levels, ranging from general consulates to business missions. Canada was one of the latest, opening a trade mission in Erbil in February.

Similarly, the KRG has active representations in a number of foreign capitals, including London, Washington and Paris.

The KRG has signed production-sharing agreements with more than 50 international oil companies, bringing approximately $10 billion in investments into its energy sector. The Kurdish enclave’s oil reserves are estimated at 45 billion barrels.

Hungary and Bulgaria also have announced plans to open diplomatic missions by the end of the year.