Baghdad: Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, engaged in discussions with Lieutenant General Lucas Schweizer, the Commander of the NATO Mission in Iraq, to explore potential pathways for collaboration following the conclusion of the international coalition’s mission in the country.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Prime Minister’s Media Office announced that Al-Sudani’s meeting with the NATO Mission Commander centered on enhancing security and military cooperation between Iraq and NATO member countries. This dialogue comes in the wake of the international coalition’s mission to combat ISIS in Iraq drawing to a close. Al-Sudani emphasized the importance of transitioning to bilateral cooperation with nations that were part of the coalition, aiming to bolster training and joint advisory efforts alongside the Iraqi armed forces, which have achieved significant technical and operational advancements.

Furthermore, Al-Sudani was apprised of the outcomes fr
om a high-level Iraq-alliance meeting held in Brussels last August. He instructed the formation of a joint committee, led by the Iraqi National Security Advisor, to deliberate on the frameworks of cooperation between Iraq and the NATO mission. The discussions also touched upon the regional security climate, particularly the ongoing Zionist actions in Gaza and Lebanon. Al-Sudani reiterated Iraq’s stance on the critical role of international and UN organizations, alongside major global powers, in halting the aggression and averting potential genocide against the resilient Palestinian population.