Continuing his meetings in Germany on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, President Nechirvan Barzani, met with Mr. Lorenzo Guerini, the Italian Minister of Defense.

During the meeting, President Nechirvan Barzani expressed the Kurdistan Region’s gratitude to Italy for providing military support and assistance during the war against ISIS. Regarding the security situation in Iraq, the President clarified that the cooperation between the Iraqi army and the Peshmerga, especially in areas with security vacuum, is satisfactory, and that ISIS threats necessitate the continued cooperation between Erbil and Baghdad.

Mr. Guerini stressed that Italy will continue its support and assistance to the Kurdistan Region, especially as his country will in the near future take the leadership of NATO missions in Iraq. He said: Our previous experience with the Peshmerga was successful, and we appreciate the role of the Peshmerga and their sacrifices.

Discussions also covered the political situation in Iraq, the relations of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq with Italy and the continued fight against terrorism.