KRG asks Russia for Peshmerga military support

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Monday requested the Russian Federation provide more military assistance to Peshmerga forces.

In an interview with Russian newspaper Izvestia, head of the KRG’s Department of Foreign Relations (DFR) Falah Mustafa said the Kurdistan Region wanted more military support from Russia.

On Nov. 1, Mustafa headed a KRG delegation to Russia where he met with Mikhail Bogdanov, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa.

“We had made a request to Russia to support Peshmerga forces in the fight against terrorism and asked Russia to provide humanitarian assistance to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees hosted by the Kurdistan Region,” Mustafa said.

“We believe that it is necessary the international community, and above all our allies, one of which is Russian, provides us with comprehensive support,” Mustafa told Izvestia.

Regarding the Erbil-Baghdad relations, Mustafa said it was essential to review the affairs with the federal government of Iraq.

“There should be a dialogue over the future relations between Erbil and Baghdad, and we must develop a formula that would suit both sides,” the head of the DFR added.

Moreover, Mustafa explained if the Iraqi central government considered the Kurdistan Region a real partner, long-standing issues could be resolved easily. 

Asked about the relations between Ankara and Baghdad and the presence of Turkish troops in Iraq, Mustafa said this issue needed diplomatic work between both sides.

Otherwise, only terrorists would benefit from such problems, he added.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany