The Swiss Foreign Ministry announced today, Tuesday, the reopening of its embassy in Baghdad, after 33 years of closure. The ministry said in a statement, "As of today, Switzerland has once again returned to its diplomatic presence in Iraq, after it was closed due to the Gulf War in 1991." It explained that "the Swiss Federal Council aims, through the reopening of the embassy, to strengthen bilateral relations with Iraq and consolidate cooperation in the fields of economy, security and immigration." Source: National Iraqi News Agency