Denmark will open embassy to Iraq in Baghdad this year

Sep 10, 2020

Denmark will open an embassy in Baghdad this fall. The move comes as the NATO member prepares to assume command of the military alliance’s training mission in Iraq later this year.

The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the announcement on Thursday. The opening of the embassy shows Denmark’s commitment to a lasting defeat of the Islamic State (IS) so that the group does not threaten Europe in the future, the ministry said.

Denmark is a member of the US-led anti-IS coalition that supports Iraqi security forces. The coalition, officially known as Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, includes other NATO members as well as Middle Eastern and Asian countries. Denmark is part of the European Union.

There are already Danish soldiers in Iraq serving in the coalition, and the country will begin leading NATO’s Iraq training mission in December. Denmark’s elite Jaeger Corps has also trained part of the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Units in the country in the past.

The embassy in Baghdad will add to Denmark’s representation in the region. The country already has embassies in neighboring Syria, Turkey and Iran.