By Lee Jon Young

(New Year Message)
Dear readers of the Diplomacy Journal,

On the occasion of Christmas and New year, the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq is happy to extend our biggest congratulations, blessing and best regards to your esteemed Journal. We wish you good health, prosperity and success, along with the achievements in your work, prosperity and progress of our friendly country. May the new year be a year full of energy, vitality and achievements that you aspire to accomplish.

We are keen on to follow up with your great interest as we believe it deals with many international, diplomatic, political and economic issues and affairs, together with activities and events related to Republic of Korea's relations and foreign policy with various countries of the world, with regional and international organizations. Therefore, we hope that its contributions and achievements may continue to serve its issues of cooperation, security and global peace.

We look forward to work together to prop the diplomatic relations between our two friendly countries, in a way that serves the interest and concerns of the people of the two countries. We wish to achieve the legitimate ambitions and aspirations of both sides for renaissance and process towards goodness and prosperity, which can be spread to our people and entire world.

Iraqi-Korean relations have witnessed remarkable development in recent years, that is because of the efforts of diplomatic cooperation between the two countries which allowed to open the prospects of cooperation. Especially this year, when political consultations were held at the Deputy-Minister level, and the "Agreement for visa waivers of entry for Diplomatic Passport holders" was signed as well in June 30, 2023.

During the second half of this year, the 9 Session of Iraqi-Korean Joint Committee held on the 21, 22 June 2023 yielding fruitful outcomes. The joint effort of the two countries led to achieve numerous developments this year, in the field of mutual support in international organizations, especially in the elections for UNESCO, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and others.

Iraq is still looking forward to broader the cooperation with the Republic of Korea through joint actions, in or to raise the level of relations between the two countries to the strategic stage and to open new prospects cooperation that are compatible with the current international status in quo, that enhance partnership: cooperation. 

Moreover, we expect to establish a new phase in the field of combating cross-national climate and environment, natural disasters, information technology, cyber security and in other fields, that require the diligent work and exceptional efforts between the two countries in various directions. Iraq has a great ambition and hope, to achieve all that in the near future.