Abu Dhabi, June 5 (IANS) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) would soon reopen its embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, which was closed two years ago when one of its diplomats was kidnapped and later released. UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan made the announcement Thursday.

“The new ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Iraq will also be named soon,” the state-run Emirates News Agency (WAM) quoted Sheikh Abdullah, who is currently on a visit to Iraq, as saying.

In doing so, the UAE will become the first Arab nation to restore full diplomatic relations with Baghdad since the Egyptian ambassador to that war-ravaged nation was killed in 2005.

The UAE had closed its embassy in Baghdad when one of its diplomats was kidnapped and released two years back and two Iraqi employees of the embassy were killed.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki stressed that his government was keen on maintaining best relations with the UAE at all levels.

He expressed the hope that the UAE foreign minister’s visit to Baghdad would usher in stronger economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.

He also called on UAE companies to tap investment opportunities in Iraq.

During the course of his visit, Sheikh Abdullah delivered an invitation to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani from President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to visit this Gulf nation.

He also invited Prime Minister Maliki on behalf of Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

A similar invitation was delivered to Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament Mahmoud Mashhadani on behalf of the speaker of the UAE Federal National Council.