In a video message on Tuesday, Germany’s Consul General in Erbil Albrecht von Wittke announced that he had returned to Erbil after Germany temporarily withdrew its diplomatic staff from Baghdad and Erbil during the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran in March.

“ It’s a great pleasure for me to be back in Erbil at the German Consulate General. Germany has been and continues to be a reliable partner of the Kurdistan region of Iraq,” he said in a video message on Germany’s Consulate General page on X. 

“I am happy to be able to now resume my political work in person here in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq on important areas of cooperation such as stability, security, economy, and bilateral relations. With me, a small team has returned to Erbil. They are now preparing the Consulate General, and I hope this will soon allow us to resume our other activities and services..”

On Tuesday, Safeen Dizayee, Head of the Kurdistan Regional Government Department of Foreign Relations, posted on X that he had held a meeting with Germany’s Consul General Wittke.

“We exchanged views on current developments, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s visit to Turkey, and my recent visits to several European capitals.”

Germany’s Consulate General announced on Facebook on Monday that the consulate and visa section remain closed. 

“Unfortunately, we are not in a position to provide a specific date for the consular and visa sections’ reopening at this time. Staff from the German Embassy in Baghdad and the German Consulate General in Erbil are currently returning to Baghdad and Erbil to prepare for the resumption of operations and to re-establish political contacts. We will continue to provide updates through our social media channels and website,” Germany’s Consulate General posted on Facebook.