Chinese embassy in Iraq reopens visa service

Chinese Embassy in Iraq announced Thursday that Iraqis can apply for visas to China in Baghdad from now on. It is the first time that the embassy restarts its visa service to Iraqi citizens since the 2003 war.

The announcement was made during an opening ceremony of the embassy's consular office in Baghdad on Thursday. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Deputy Foreign Minister Labid Majid Abbawi and other Iraqi officials attended the ceremony and cut the ribbon.

Chinese Ambassador to China Ni Jian said in a speech that the reopening of the consular section will "greatly facilitate Iraqis' travelling to China and have a positive impact on Sino-Iraqi relationship."

Zebari praised the move as an important step to enhance economic and trade cooperation. The bilateral trade volume between Iraq and China may reach 18 billion U.S. dollars this year, Zebari said.

According to the embassy's figures, more than 20,000 Iraqis travel to China every year. Before the reopening of visa service, they had to go to neighboring countries like Jordan to apply for Chinese visas.