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Visit of MEP Lars Patrick Berg to Iraq

On a visit to Iraq with a delegation from the European Parliament, German ECR MEP Lars Patrick Berg stated:

“Iraq needs the EU’s support now. Security, energy, water, migration and democracy are at the top of the agenda. Also thank you to General Iannucci, Commander of the NATO Mission to Iraq – for his assessment.”

Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, stressed the importance of expanding the scope of work of the EU Advisory Mission in Iraq, during his meeting, on Monday, with a delegation from the European Parliament headed by the Chair of the Subcommittee on Security and Defense, Nathalie Loiseau, according to a press statement issued by the Prime Minister office.

During the meeting, al-Kadhimi confirmed that Iraq greatly prioritizes the relationship with the EU countries, and seeks to develop joint cooperation in fields of combating terrorism, the war against ISIS, and developing the military capabilities of the Iraqi forces.

Al-Kadhimi emphasized the importance of expanding the scope of work of the EU Advisory Mission in Iraq to include building institutional capacities of the Iraqi security institutions, and to cooperate in combating illegal immigration, organized crime and drug trafficking.

During the meeting, MEPs are meeting representatives of the Iraqi authorities and visited the EU Advisory Mission to discuss the situation in the country following the defeat of Daesh. The purpose of trip is to assess the work of the EU Advisory Mission in Iraq (EUAM Iraq), given the regional security concerns and the changing geopolitical realities following the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan and Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The core objective of the mission is to better understand the operational realities on the ground, following the recent decision to extend the EUAM’s mandate to support the security sector reform, the fight against corruption and to protect cultural heritage. MEPs are also traveling to the capital Baghdad and to Erbil, in the Kurdistan region. They are meeting there with Government and Parliamentary representatives, the Head of the EU Delegation, EU Ambassadors as well as the members of the EU Advisory Mission. Discussions will include the challenges that Iraq is facing following the territorial defeat of Daesh, such as ongoing humanitarian crisis, the need for stabilisation, early recovery, overall reforms and reconciliation.

 

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