Minister of Peshmerga meets with UK and US officials on Peshmerga reform

The Ministry of Peshmerga said that both sides discussed “the progress of the (Peshmerga) reform process.”
Minister of Peshmerga Affairs Shoresh Ismail Abdulla met separately with US and British military officials on Tuesday, Apr. 5, 2022 (Photo: Shoresh Ismail Abdulla/Facebook)
Minister of Peshmerga Affairs Shoresh Ismail Abdulla met separately with US and British military officials on Tuesday, Apr. 5, 2022 (Photo: Shoresh Ismail Abdulla/Facebook)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Minister of Peshmerga Affairs Shoresh Ismail Abdulla met separately with US and British military officials to discuss the progress of the Peshmerga reform.

In a tweet, the Ministry of Peshmerga said that the Minister of Peshmerga Affairs Shoresh Ismail Abdulla had a meeting with Deputy Director of the US-led coalition's Military Advisor Group North, Col. Todd Burroughs, and British Military Advisor Col. Rob Driver.

It added that both sides discussed “the progress of the reform process and relations between coalition and Peshmerga and the situation in the area in general.”

“We thanked our friends for their continued role in improving the Peshmerga's capabilities and advancing the reform process,” Abdulla said in a Facebook post.

Col. Burroughs also met with Ministry of Peshmerga officials to discuss Peshmerga reform on Monday.

Read More: US-led coalition discusses reform with Ministry of Peshmerga

The Netherlands, the US, the UK, and Germany form the unique Multi-National Advisory Group (MNAG) that enthusiastically supports the project to establish a modern, effective, affordable, and accountable Peshmerga force under the control of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

As part of those efforts, Kurdish leaders decided last year to put heavy support units of the Peshmerga's Unit 80 and Unit 70, currently under the separate commands of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), under the control of the Ministry of Peshmerga. The MNAG welcomed the move.

Read More: Council of Ministers' department meets with Ministry of Peshmerga on reform

The MNAG is currently pushing the KRG to make swift decisions to establish two new unified Peshmerga divisions.