Iraq PM, Dutch ambassador meet to discuss new council to deepen ministerial relations

BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani met with Janet Alberda, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Iraq, on Monday to discuss enhancing bilateral relations, a statement from the PM’s office read.

The meeting included the presentation of a draft memorandum of understanding aimed at establishing a Higher Ministerial Council to strengthen cooperation between the two nations.

Alberda, who assumed her role as ambassador in September 2024, previously served as the Dutch Consul General in the Kurdistan Region from 2016 to 2018.

Full statement from PM Al-Sudani’s media office:

Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani met today the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Iraq, Ms. Janet Alberda.

Prime Minister Al-Sudani congratulated the Ambassador on assuming her duties in Iraq, emphasizing the importance of strengthening bilateral relations in various fields and working to develop them in a way that achieves mutual benefit and shared interests.

Prime Minister Al-Sudani received a draft memorandum of understanding from Ms. Alberda to establish the Higher Ministerial Council between the governments of Iraq and the Netherlands, aimed at promoting ministerial cooperation across various sectors. The discussion also included the coalition’s withdrawal and the transition to direct bilateral relations between the two nations.

The meeting also addressed the situation and developments in Lebanon and Gaza, highlighting the importance of seeking to end the war and ensuring that relief supplies reach the affected and devastated areas due to the aggression.