Netherlands committed to Peshmerga Reform: Dutch Consul-General
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - The Dutch Consul General in Erbil, Hans Akerboom, told Kurdistan 24 on Monday that the Netherlands is very much committed to supporting reform of the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga forces.
In 2019, the Netherlands joined the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany to back a project for the reform of the Peshmerga.
A key objective of the reform plan is to move away from the current division of Peshmerga forces between the two major Kurdish parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), while institutionalizing a unified command structure.
The Netherlands cooperation in the #KRI is extensive and mutual constructive. Not only in terms of military support, but also playing an important role in the agricultural sector. Today I was able to tell that live on television at K24. pic.twitter.com/fimwoDGmsF
— Hans Akerboom (@jtmakerboom) March 15, 2021
Military advisers and diplomats from the UK, US, Germany and the Netherlands met on Sunday “to discuss how the implementation is progressing and how we can take the reforms a step further,” Akerboom tweeted on Monday.
“As the Netherlands, we work together with the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany and we have our military advisers who are advising on 27 projects,” Akerboom told Kurdistan 24.
“So for example, yesterday, we had a meeting, together with diplomats and the military advisers and we discussed the progress of those 27 projects.”
Akerboom underlined that the Dutch, Germans, Americans and British all run certain parts and have responsibilities for those projects. "As the Netherlands we are very much committed to support the Peshmerga reform for example in the field of recruitment, but also as you mentioned about the administration and the way of doing payments,” he said.
"Our military advisors work together with the Ministry of Peshmerga on reform and sit together and try to make the Peshmerga even better and stronger than they already are.”
"And the Netherlands again ... we have a big commitment here in the Kurdistan Region,” he said, not only in trade and investment but in the form of 150 military personnel currently in Erbil to secure the military side of the international airport.
Read More: Dutch army underlines need to protect Erbil airport after rocket attack
Critics of the Peshmerga reform program say it is not going fast enough, nearly 30 years after the two parties agreed to integrate their units under a single Peshmerga ministry.
But Akerboom says it will be a long process. “It will take more years and working together with the Ministry of Peshmerga, but also with our partners, the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom and to see where we can improve the Peshmerga,” he explained.
Dutch Support for Kurdish Agriculture
The Dutch also support the Kurdistan Region in the field of agriculture “for our investors and your investors to try to produce more products here in the Kurdistan Region,” Akerboom said.
He underlined that despite the Netherlands being a small country with a similar geographical size to the Kurdistan Region it is the second biggest agricultural exporter in the world after the United States.
Last year Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in The Hague and discussed further cooperation in the field of agriculture.
Read More: Kurdistan, Dutch prime ministers talk strengthening bilateral ties
May we introduce you to the first Dutch goats in KRI, they are adapting well in @Halabja. We congratulate the Halabja group on their new goatfarm. @nlinkri pic.twitter.com/vKJa4sEakz
— Maaike Keizer (@maaikekeizer) March 4, 2021
“We are working on that as the Netherlands Consulate General and we can already see some results: many cows and goats are coming from the Netherlands and going to the Kurdistan Region. But also with technical expertise we will try to introduce innovation here in the Kurdistan region,” Akerboom concluded.
Editing by Joanne Stocker-Kelly