Al-Sudani Affirms Iraq's Keenness To Strengthen Cooperation Relations With Finland In Various Fields

Baghdad / NINA /- Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani affirmed on Tuesday Iraq’s keenness to strengthen cooperation with the Republic of Finland across various fields.

According to a statement from his media office, Al-Sudani received Finland’s newly appointed Ambassador to Iraq, Antti Poutanen, on Tuesday on the occasion of assuming his diplomatic duties.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of enhancing bilateral relations in political, economic, and scientific sectors, particularly in oil and gas, as well as clean energy. He underscored the need to convene the Iraqi-Finnish Joint Committee in Baghdad and praised Finland’s contribution to the International Coalition to Combat ISIS, in addition to its humanitarian and developmental support to Iraq since 2003.

Al-Sudani also commended the outcomes of the latest round of political consultations between the two countries, held in Helsinki in February 2025, and urged the Finnish side to support Iraq’s efforts to lift the European ban on Iraqi Airways, as well as restrictions imposed on Iraqi airspace.

For his part, Ambassador Poutanen congratulated the Prime Minister on the successful conduct of elections with broad public participation, lauding the government’s efforts to maintain security and Iraq’s pivotal role in the region. He highlighted the longstanding presence of Finnish companies in Iraq and their interest in contributing to reconstruction and development projects, reaffirming his commitment to encouraging the exchange of official visits by Finnish officials in light of Iraq’s evident stability and economic growth./ End