PM Barzani, Estonian Defense Minister discuss military cooperation

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Wednesday received Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur.

Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani also attended the meeting.

While addressing the general situation in Iraq, both sides underlined strengthening their bilateral relations.

Moreover, they emphasized supporting the Peshmerga in combating ISIS and achieving peace and security in the region.

Another topic of the meeting was the importance of continuing security and military cooperation between both sides. In this regard, PM Barzani expressed his gratitude to the Estonian forces for their continued support to the Peshmerga forces as part of the Global Coalition against Daesh.

Lastly, the Estonian Defense Minister expressed his country's readiness to enhance coordination and to continue its support for the Peshmerga forces.

Estonian troops will join the 4,000 Coalition troops stationed at a military base in Erbil. They will take responsibility for securing the military site, a role the Dutch army previously held.

Estonia, a NATO member since 2004, is also part of the 83-partner International Coalition to Defeat ISIS, led by the US since 2014.

The operation’s current mandate is to advise and support local security forces in the enduring defeat of the terror group, which once controlled a third of Iraq before its self-proclaimed caliphate was toppled in 2017 by Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi forces, with air support and training from the International Coalition.

Although ISIS has been territorially defeated, the remnants of the extremist organization still pose a threat to security forces and civilians, according to local authorities and Coalition forces.