The US reiterates support for Peshmerga reform

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – United States Consul General to Erbil Irvin Hicks Jr. reiterated his country’s support for the ongoing reform of Peshmerga forces on Monday, according to a statement.

The remarks came during a meeting between the US diplomat and Minister of Peshmerga Affairs Shorish Ismael in Erbil, where the two discussed the political and security developments in the region and the security cooperation between Erbil and Washington, a statement from the ministry read.

Ismael briefed the US diplomat on the progress of Peshmerga reform, for which Hicks Jr. reiterated “continued support”, the statement added.

The diplomat said the unification of the Peshmerga forces is a “challenging task” that requires multilateral support.

A unified Peshmerga force under the command and leadership of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs is one of the integral parts of the reform process, which has been supported by the US-led Coalition to Defeat ISIS partners.

Major supporting forces have been brought under the command of the ministry, Ismael recently told reporters in a presser.

He insisted that “trust building” is a cornerstone for the success of the process, calling on all the political parties to be supportive of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)’s efforts in this regard.