The Italian Defense Minister, Guido Crosetto, arrived Saturday to Baghdad on an official visit to Iraq and Kurdistan Region.
According to a statement from the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, Defense Minister Thabet al-Abbasi met with his Italian counterpart and the Italian Ambassador to Iraq Nicolo Fontana, along with their accompanying delegation, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Baghdad.
“During the meeting, the two sides highlighted Italy's significant contributions through its experts and trainers stationed with NATO’s mission in Iraq, as well as Italy’s support for the Iraqi defense ministry through various training and development programs both within Iraq and abroad,” the statement added.
The talks also addressed the future of bilateral relations during an expanded meeting attended by senior Iraqi military leaders, exploring ways to enhance future cooperation between Iraq and Italy.
For his part, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani stressed Iraq's readiness to cooperate with friendly countries to establish stability in the region, due to its impact on global security, ALsharqiya reported.
During his meeting in Baghdad with Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, Al-Sudani discussed bilateral relations and ways to enhance them in various fields, especially in security aspects, in a way that achieves mutual benefit between the two friendly countries.
Al-Sudani praised Italy’s efforts and its great role through Italian experts and trainers present within the NATO mission, and their support for Iraq through training and development courses held for the Ministry of Defense cadres inside and outside Iraq.
Lastly, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Sunday received Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto in Erbil as part of his visit to the Kurdistan Region and thanked Rome for its support in the fight against terrorism, Rudaw reported.
“Italy’s relations and joint military and security cooperation with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, support and role of Italian forces in the fight against terrorism, the situation in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, and the threats of the resurgence of the Islamic State (ISIS)” were discussed in the meeting, said a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency.
Crosetto arrived in Erbil on Saturday and was received by Peshmerga Minister Shoresh Ismail. His visit included a visit to Italian troops stationed in the Kurdistan Region as part of a US-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS), military advisors, and the Italian Consulate in Erbil, according to the Peshmerga Ministry.
He also held meetings with senior Kurdistan Region officials and was previously in Baghdad where he met his Iraqi counterpart Thabet al-Abbasi.
During the meeting, President Barzani thanked Italy for its support in the fight against ISIS, and expressed Erbil’s desire to further strengthen ties with Rome. Crosetto also praised the role of the Kurdish Peshmerga in the anti-ISIS fight and emphasized the Kurdistan Region’s vital role in the Middle East.
Italy is a member of the global anti-ISIS coalition, formed in 2014 when the jihadists seized swathes of land in Iraq and Syria, and is actively engaged in supporting and training Iraqi security forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga.
Earlier this month, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani met, on Wednesday the Federal Minister of Defense of Germany, Boris Pistorius, and his accompanying delegation.
Both sides stressed the importance of non-interference in Syria’s internal affairs, affirming that the Syrian people alone should determine their country’s future.
In October, the German Parliament overwhelmingly voted in favor of the request to extend Berlin’s military mission in Iraq for another 15 months. (Iraq’s Ministry of Defense; ALsharqiya; Rudwa; Photo © Iraq’s Ministry of Defense)
