Iraq–Italy relations

Iraqi–Italian relations are the interstate ties relations between Iraq and Italy. Iraq has an embassy in Rome and Italy has an embassy in Baghdad and a consulate-general in Basra.

Iraq and Italy agreed to enhance parliamentary relations during a meeting in mid 2000, between acting Iraqi National Assembly (parliament) Speaker Hamid Rashid Al-Rawee and a visiting Italian parliamentary delegation. Al-Rawee reviewed Iraq's relations with Italy and expressed hope of expanding them in all fields, the official Iraqi News Agency reported. Relations between the two strengthened when Italy sent economic and naval assistance Saddam Hussein in the eight-year war w/Iran.

Roco Puticlon, head of the Italian delegation, confirmed the necessity to promote parliamentary relations with Iraq, and expressed solidarity with the Iraqi people in confronting the decade-old U.N. sanctions.

Italy is actively assisting the democratic government of Iraq to rebuild its infrastructure, reconstitute its civil society, mend ethnic and religious rifts, ensure respect for the authority of the government and the law and strengthen the process of economic revival.

Cultural relations

Due to the 2003 Iraq war many historical artifacts have either been stolen or damaged, however over 40 ivory pieces were restored in Rome, in the workshops of the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro (Central Institute for Restoration). Baghdad's Iraqi National Museum owns the greatest collection of Assyrian ivories in the world. Over the last fifteen years, this collection, both the pieces held in the vaults of the Iraqi Central Bank and those still held in the Museum, has suffered as a result both of the war and of poor conservation conditions. Some of the most precious objects were restored by the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro team in 2004, immediately after the installation of a new restoration workshop provided by the Italian Ministry of Culture. [http://www.italyforiraq.it/en/programmi/programma.php?p=21]

ee also

*Foreign relations of Iraq
*Foreign relations of Italy
*Anglo-Iraqi War
*Italian support for Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war
*Multinational force in Iraq

External links

* [http://www.italyforiraq.it/ Italy For Iraq] en/it
* [http://www.ambbaghdad.esteri.it/Ambasciata_Baghdad Embassy of Italy in Baghdad]