Al-Sudani, NATO Iraq commander review training cooperation in Baghdad meeting

BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani met Thursday with NATO Mission in Iraq Commander Christophe Hintzy to review progress in military training cooperation and reaffirm Iraq’s commitment to strengthening ties with the alliance, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.

Al-Sudani said Iraq “attaches great importance to the future of its cooperation with NATO member states” and intends to leverage the mission’s presence to expand training and capacity-building programs for the Iraqi Armed Forces.

He emphasized that NATO’s support “contributes to strengthening Iraq’s technical and military capabilities” and helps promote the professionalism and readiness of national forces.

The meeting follows Al-Sudani’s visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels in September, where he addressed the North Atlantic Council and reiterated Iraq’s desire for a partnership based on respect for sovereignty and joint strategic interests. The visit was made at the invitation of NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

Statement from Al-Sudani’s media office:

Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani met today, Thursday, with Major General Christophe Hintzy, Commander of the NATO Mission in Iraq, and his accompanying delegation. The meeting reviewed the progress of cooperation between Iraq and the NATO Mission across all areas of mutual interest.

The Prime Minister affirmed that Iraq attaches great importance to the future of its cooperation with NATO member states and continues to benefit from the NATO Mission’s presence to enhance training programs for the Iraqi Armed Forces in all their formations. He emphasized that this partnership contributes to strengthening Iraq’s technical and military capabilities, ensuring its forces’ continued professionalism and readiness, and further developing their combat performance.

For his part, Major General Hintzy expressed his appreciation for the outstanding performance of Iraq’s security forces and their ability to maintain full responsibility for security throughout the country. He affirmed that the Mission continues to monitor the progress of its partnership with Iraq and values the official support provided to its technical team, as well as the ongoing cooperation following Prime Minister Al-Sudani’s visit to NATO Headquarters in Brussels, where he met with the Secretary General and representatives of member states.