New Zealand is opening an embassy in Baghdad, which will be headed by career diplomat James Munro.
Pedestrians walk past a Shi'ite shrine in Kadhimiya, Baghdad Photo: 123RF
Mr Munro is an Arabic speaker and former military officer who has previously been posted to Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia.
He will start next week, working out of the Australian Embassy in Baghdad.
New Zealand currently has a joint mission with Australia at Camp Taji north of Baghdad, which is tasked with helping to train local security forces.
Foreign Minister Murray McCully said Mr Munro's main responsibility would be supporting New Zealand's training mission at Camp Taji and assessing how New Zealand can better support and build relations with Iraq.
The Prime Minister said it was usual for this country to have diplomatic representation where it has a military presence.