On the evening of the 16th, the Chinese Consulate General in Basra, Iraq held an opening ceremony in the southern city of Basra. Nearly 300 people, including Chinese Ambassador to Iraq Cui Wei, representatives of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, officials from various provincial governments in the region, and representatives of Chinese funded institutions, attended. Cui Wei said at the opening ceremony that Iraq is an important partner in the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road". This year is the 10th anniversary of the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" initiative and the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Iraq. At this time, the opening of the consulate general is of special significance. The consulate general will actively promote bilateral cooperation and provide timely and effective consular services to the Chinese people. In their speeches, Governor Assad Adani of Basra Province and officials from the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs highly praised the current relationship between Iraq and China, and looked forward to taking this opportunity to deepen and expand practical cooperation and enhance friendly exchanges between the two peoples. Basra is the capital of Basra Province in southern Iraq. The Chinese Consulate General in Basra is the second consulate general established by China in Iraq, following the Consulate General in Erbil. Its jurisdiction covers the provinces of Basra, Musana, Zijar, Diwaniya, Missan, and Najaf. (New News Agency)