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Germany–Iraq relations

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German-Iraqi relations
Map indicating locations of Germany and Iraq

Germany
Iraq
German embassy in Baghdad, Iraq.

German-Iraqi relations are foreign relations between Germany and Iraq. Iraq has an embassy in Berlin, while Germany has an embassy in Baghdad.

There are currently living around 250.000 Iraqis in Germany.[1]

History of relations

Relations with the Third Reich (Nazi Germany)

The 1941 Iraqi coup d'état (Arabic: ثورة رشيد عالي الكيلاني), also called the Rashid Ali Al-Gaylani coup or the Golden Square coup, was a nationalist and pro-Nazi coup d'état in Iraq on 1 April 1941 that overthrew the pro-British regime of Regent 'Abd al-Ilah and his Prime Minister Nuri al-Said and installed Rashid Ali al-Gaylani as Prime Minister. Iraq remained a co-belligerent state of the Axis and ally of Nazi Germany until it fought against the United Kingdom in the Anglo-Iraqi War in May 1941, which resulted in the downfall of Ali's government, the re-occupation of Iraq by the British Empire, and the restoration to power of the Regent of Iraq, Prince 'Abd al-Ilah, an ally to Britain.

Relations with the GDR (East Germany)

Iraq had full diplomatic recognition to the GDR, being the only non-communist regime to do so at the time. Iraq's full diplomatic recognition of East Germany and Foreign Minister Otto Winzer's acknowledgement of that recognition were announced in Neues Deutschland on 2 May 1969[2].

The Iraqi decision did not come entirely as a surprise, following as it did the extended visit by Foreign Minister Abdul Karim al-Shaykhli to the Soviet Union and East Germany from 20 to 31 March 1969[3], in which as a result of this visit, discussions amounted to both countries tightening relations and taking further "steps for deepening cooperation in political, economic and cultural fields." Iraq had thus become the fourteenth state to fully recognize East Germany (in addition to the thirteen "socialist" states) and the first of the non-aligned or "third" world nation to make this decision.

At the same time, Iraq exported oil into the GDR[4], the GDR exported military vehicles and weapons into Iraq. In 1982 the GDR imported weapons both into Iran and Iraq (who where at war with each other).[5]

Relations with the FRG (West Germany and reunified Germany)

Although Iraq had relations with the Federal Republic of Germany since 1953, they only maintained ease relations. In 1965, Iraq and the other Arab states severed relations with the FRG, following the establishment of relations with Israel. The ties were later restored[6].

After the Gulf War in 1990/91 and during the period of occupation after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, diplomatic relations had been continued to a limited degree.

Germany along with China, Russia, France, and Belgium, steadfastly countered the proposal for the 2003 Invasion[7]

In August 2014, the German government announced that it would be supplying weapons to Kurdish peshmerga forces fighting ISIL. The shipments include arms, armor, and communications equipment; the German ministry of defence reported that the military aid will be enough to supply 4,000 Kurdish peshmerga forces.[8]

The military aid, worth approximately €70 million, includes 8,000 G36 rifles and four million rounds of ammunition, 8,000 G3 rifles and two million rounds of ammunition, 8,000 P1 pistols and one million rounds of ammunition, 40 MG3 machine guns and one million rounds of ammunition, 200 Panzerfaust 3 rocket-propelled grenade launchers and 2,500 rocket propelled grenades, 30 MILAN anti tank missile systems and 500 missiles, 40 Wolf light utility vehicle and 20 armored Wolf light utility vehicles, 40 UNIMOG trucks, and 5 Dingo-1 infantry mobility vehicles.[9]

By December 2014, in support of the US-led military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the German Cabinet approved the deployment of up to 100 Bundeswehr troops to northern Iraq to train peshmerga forces.[10]

Economic relations

Estimates for 2018 put German–Iraqi trade at 1,76 billion euro. Over 600 german companies trade with Iraq. While Germany imports mainly Oil, it exports chemicals, machines and electronics.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Foreigners from Iraq in Germany (2018)". Statista (in German). Retrieved 2020-05-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ "ND-Archiv: 02.05.1969". www.nd-archiv.de. Retrieved 2020-05-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ Wentker, Hermann (2012-10-31). Foreign policy within narrow limits: the GDR in the international system 1949-1989. Publications on SBZ / GDR research in the Institute for Contemporary History (in German). Walter de Gruyter. p. 284. ISBN 978-3-486-70738-0.
  4. ^ Schmidt, Paul G. (2019-06-04). International monetary policy in the socialist state: Theoretical foundation and empirical examination using the example of the GDR (in German). Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. p. 292. ISBN 978-3-11-051014-0.
  5. ^ mdr.de. "Solidarity astray | MDR.DE". www.mdr.de (in German). Retrieved 2020-05-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ "Liste der deutschen Botschafter im Irak", Wikipedia (in German), 2019-08-21, retrieved 2020-05-25
  7. ^ "A German View of the Iraq War - 2003-12-12 | Voice of America - English". www.voanews.com. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  8. ^ "Germany to arm Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State in Iraq". Deutsche Welle. Deutsche Welle. dpa/AP. 31 August 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  9. ^ Kimball, Spencer (1 September 2014). "German weapons deliveries to Iraq's Kurdish region". Deutsche Welle. Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  10. ^ Hudson, Alexandra. Evans, Dominic (ed.). "German cabinet approves training mission to Iraq". Reuters. No. 17 December 2014. Reuters. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  11. ^ Wirtschaftswoche. "Trade volume of 1.7 billion euros: German economy relies on trade with Iraq". www.wiwo.de (in German). Retrieved 2020-05-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

Media related to Relations of Germany and Iraq at Wikimedia Commons

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