ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The US on Wednesday opened its new Consulate General building in Erbil, with several top Kurdish and American officials attending the inauguration and delivering remarks.

Located nearly eight miles from Erbil’s city center, the 800-million-dollar compound is the largest US consulate building across the world, sitting on over 50,000 square meters. 

Speaking at the consulate’s inauguration, US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Michael Rigas highlighted the importance of the investment, noting that “significant opportunities” await to deliver a return on investment, in the wake of the new compound’s opening.

Rigas arrived in Baghdad on Sunday, as part of a broader Middle East tour, before making his way to Erbil on Wednesday afternoon to attend the inauguration. 

“We are proud of our deep and longstanding partnership with the people of this region," the US diplomat noted, expressing hope for “additional economic opportunities to strengthen investment ties that will deliver real benefits to Americans and Iraqis," touching on the need to “dismantle” Iran-backed Iraqi militias, that Washington has previously accused of targeting US interests in the area. 

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, meanwhile, likened the building to “a mountain, a solid, unshakeable rock in Erbil,” that signifies the “old, strong bonds” between Erbil and Washington.

The premier highlighted the positive role the US has historically played regarding the Kurdistan Region, naming as examples the no-fly-zone over the Kurdistan Region imposed by the US in the early 1990s and the pivotal role the US-led coalition played against the Islamic State (ISIS) after it was established in 2014. 

“We in Kurdistan are very grateful to you, and we cannot thank you enough for everything that you have done for us,” said the prime minister. “We will continue to work with you, and we will continue to work with the federal government of Iraq to build a country ... that respects the constitution, that tries to respect every ethnicity in Kurdistan and in Iraq," he further noted.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani labeled the new consulate’s opening as a “new phase” in Erbil’s relations with Washington, which he noted are based on “trust and joint cooperation.” 

The architecture firm Page designed the facility, describing it as expressing the "United States’ democratic values within Iraq’s cultural context, symbolizing the global partners’ relationship and shared aspirations."
 
"Located eight miles from Erbil’s historic city center, this project respects and responds to local conditions and culture through design that conserves water, controls light, and reduces energy consumption," the Washington-based company noted.
 
The new installation also features a residential village to allow a portion of embassy staffers to live on site, featuring "apartment buildings, townhouses, and a hotel," as well as dining facilities and a fitness center.
 
The US Consulate General officially opened in 2011, upgrading Washington's diplomatic presence in the Kurdistan Region from a Regional Construction Team that had been based in the Kurdish capital since 2007.