Iraq - German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived on Wednesday in Iraq's northern Kurdish Autonomous Region in a visit expected to promote business and cultural ties with the relatively peaceful region.

Steinmeier is scheduled to open a German consulate and school in the predominantly Kurdish city of Arbil, where security is better than in the rest of Iraq.

He visited Baghdad on Tuesday in the first trip by a high-ranking German official since the US-led invasion in 2003.

German companies have invested in large projects in the Kurdish region, according to lawmaker Osama Al-Najifi, who was a minister of industry in Ibrahim al-Jaafari's government in 2006.

Steinmeier's visit comes a week after French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited Iraq.

Visits by foreign officials usually take place amidst tight security. The overall security situation in Iraq is seen to have improved significantly since 2003.

US President Barack Obama said that he would withdraw US troops from Iraq by the end of 2009.

Steinmeier arrived at the airport in Arbil with his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari. He was received by the Kurdish region's President Massoud Barzani and Prime Minister Nerchivan Barzani. (dpa)