Dutch support for Peshmerga reform continues, says envoy

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Netherlands’ support for the reform of Kurdish Peshmerga forces will continue, the Dutch envoy to Kurdistan Region said.

The remarks by Consul General Jaco Beerends came on the sidelines of a Dutch-supported entrepreneurial initiative in Erbil on Wednesday.

“Our support for Peshmerga reform will definitely continue,” Beerends told Kurdistan 24, adding the country has “a lot of ground to cover”.

“For effective Peshmerga reform, we need unity in the political sphere,” he added, saying that unity is currently “under pressure”.

During her visit to Kurdistan Region in late November, the Dutch defense minister told Kurdistan 24 in an exclusive interview that the Kurdish region's stability remains important to the country. 

Read More: Kurdistan Region’s stability remains important for the Netherlands: Defense Minister

Regarding the Dutch-Kurdish relations, the diplomat said that the European country is supporting the current Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) economic diversification initiatives, a focus of Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s agenda. 

Agri-Food is one of the programs that the country is focusing on, he said. In fact, the country has supported numerous agricultural initiatives in the Kurdistan Region.

“They train our Peshmerga; empower startups and entrepreneurs, and now help increase agriculture production and investment,” Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on the relations with the Netherlands, describing the ties as “important”.

Barzani in 2020 met with his Dutch counterpart in The Hague, where he discussed bilateral relations.