Netherlands extends its military training in Iraq, Kurdistan
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday announced that its forces would continue its mission in Iraq, training Peshmerga and Iraqi forces until the end of 2021.
The Dutch government has agreed to continue its presence in Iraq, with 60 military personnel set to resume the training of Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Iraqi soldiers.
In an official statement, the Dutch foreign ministry said that in addition to the training, it would remain active in NATO’s mission in Iraq and would provide an additional 20 military and civilian advisors to the Iraqi government.
The announcement also mentioned that the extension falls within the context of the international coalition against the so-called Islamic State, and it is an effort to prevent the re-emergence of the terrorist group in Iraq.
“The extension cost will be an estimated 16 million euros per year,” the statement said.
The Netherlands is part of the US-led international coalition against the Islamic State. It has military personnel in Iraq and Kurdistan who provide training and advice to both Peshmerga and Iraqi federal forces.
On several occasions in the past, Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said his country hoped to see a “stronger” Kurdistan Region, affirming to strengthen economic ties with the autonomous Kurdish region and continue to train Peshmerga.
The Dutch Army is also part of the Kurdistan Training Coordination Center (KTCC) that is made up of instructors from nine countries: Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Sweden.
While the Dutch initially trained Peshmerga soldiers that were fighting the Islamic State through the KTCC mission, they now train Kurdish instructors so that they can take over the training mission in the future.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany