Kurdistan Region, US Delegation Hold Talks on Peshmerga Reform
The discussions centered on the final stages of the reform process, with both sides stressing the importance of unifying the Peshmerga forces and ensuring the reforms are completed successfully.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Officials from several institutions in the Kurdistan Region on Tuesday held another round of joint meetings with a United States military and diplomatic delegation to discuss the ongoing reform and reorganization of the Peshmerga forces, according to a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency.
The discussions centered on the final stages of the reform process, with both sides stressing the importance of unifying the Peshmerga forces and ensuring the reforms are completed successfully.
The meeting also highlighted the need to accelerate progress and overcome remaining obstacles, reaffirming a shared commitment to the modernization of the Peshmerga. Participants further exchanged views on ways to strengthen the coordination and cooperation between the Kurdistan Region and the United States in this regard.
This meeting followed Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s meeting on Monday, which aimed to assess ongoing efforts to unify the Peshmerga forces and accelerate reforms within the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs.
The Prime Minister welcomed the progress achieved so far in the reform process, stressing the importance of completing and fully implementing the measures to ensure a unified, modern, and professional Peshmerga force.
As part of the new decisions, all Peshmerga forces will now operate under a single accounting system within the Ministry of Peshmerga, supervised by the KRG Ministry of Finance and Economy. The move is designed to enhance transparency and efficiency in the financial management of the forces.
Read More: PM Barzani Chairs Meeting on Advancing Peshmerga Unification and Reform
The Peshmerga are officially under the command of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs of the KRG. In reality, however, their structure is largely fragmented and managed separately by the two main Kurdistan Region political parties: the Democratic Party of Kurdistan (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Since 1992, efforts to unify and integrate the Peshmerga have been a key focus of the Kurdistan Region, and significant strides have been made under a 2022 U.S.-KRG Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that aims for complete unification by 2026. However, challenges such as partisanship and external threats continue to pose obstacles.
