MPs push diplomatic missions review to save Iraq’s public funds

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee is seeking a review of the country's ambassadors and diplomatic missions abroad, a lawmaker told Shafaq News on Sunday, citing the need to improve the efficiency of the diplomatic service and safeguard public funds.

Committee member Mukhtar Al-Moussawi revealed that lawmakers plan to engage with the Foreign Ministry to examine ambassadorial appointments and term extensions, along with the distribution of diplomatic personnel across Iraq's overseas missions.

Iraq's current economic conditions, he added, require tighter spending across state institutions, including diplomatic missions, with priority given to countries that have significant political and economic ties to Iraq or large Iraqi communities. The committee also favors reassessing missions in countries where Iraq has limited diplomatic activity to reduce unnecessary expenditures.

The number of Iraqi ambassadors has increased from 26 several years ago to more than 100 today. Overseas postings carry substantial financial benefits, including monthly salaries of up to $12,000, as well as official vehicles, security protection, housing, and health coverage.

Diplomatic posts, including ambassadorships, are often distributed among political blocs through informal power-sharing arrangements. Political parties nominate affiliates, relatives, or loyalists for those positions, a practice critics describe as a "division of influence" across state institutions.

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