Qatar appoints new ambassador to Iraq

The relationship between the Sunni ruled state Qatar and Iraq that has a majority of Shi’ite has been strained since some time now.

However, now Qatar has appointed an ambassador to Iraq for the first time since the Embassy in Iraq was shut down 25 years ago.

The foreign minister of Iraq announced earlier this year that Qatar would open a new embassy in Baghdad. Also, the State Media of Qatar and the official website of Al-Jazeera claims that HH Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani has issued a decree appointing Zayed Al-Khayareen as Qatar’s “ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Iraq”.

Although the slight strains between Iraq and the rest of the Gulf nations have eased a little since Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi took office last year, this step taken by Qatar would hopefully make the tie stronger.[Reuters]