Italy to continue military support according to Peshmerga needs: Envoy

he Italian government will continue to provide military support to the Kurdistan Region according to the needs of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, the country’s top envoy in Iraq said on Sunday.
kurdistan24.net

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Italian government will continue to provide military support to the Kurdistan Region according to the needs of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, the country’s top envoy in Iraq said on Sunday.

“Since 2014, Italy had been the second largest partner of the [US-led] coalition against ISIS after the USA,” Italian Ambassador to Iraq Bruno Pasquino told Kurdistan 24 in Baghdad during an event to transfer a visa application process to a private company to facilitate the service for people.

As part of the coalition, Italy has many military advisers in the autonomous Kurdistan Region training Peshmerga forces in the fight against the extremist group. Their troops along with the coalition partners have trained thousands of Peshmerga fighters and provided military and humanitarian aid to the region.

Asked whether Italian support would continue for the Kurdish region, Pasquino stated it would be based on the requests and needs of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

He mentioned that his embassy issues over 9,000 visas annually to the people of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.

The envoy highlighted recent visits by senior Italian officials to the country, namely Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, stating he held “very fruitful meetings with the Kurdish authorities.”  

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany

(Additional reporting by Shivan Jabbary)