On Wednesday, Estonian defense Minister led a delegation from the Estonian Defense Ministry on a visit to the Kurdistan region. The purpose of his visit was to strengthen bilateral ties and enhance cooperation in matters of mutual defense interest.
The Kurdish Prime minister Masrour Barzani alongside with his dupty Qubad Talabani received the Estonian delegation.
While addressing the general situation in Iraq, both sides underlined strengthening their bilateral relations.
During the meeting, the both sides also discussed the significance of ongoing security and military cooperation between Estonia and Kurdistan. Prime Minister Barzani expressed his appreciation for the continuous support provided by the Estonian forces to the Peshmerga forces as part of the Global Coalition against Daesh. Following meeting with Kurdish PM, The Estonian Defense Minister Pevkur met with The Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani. During the meeting, President Barzani thanked the Estonian troops in the Kurdistan Region. And He acknowledged their valuable contributions to the coalition. He emphasized the importance of ongoing military cooperation between the two sides.
Pevkur arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday and met with the country’s Prime Minister. Before heading towards the Kurdish capital later in the day.
Finally, the Estonian Defense Minister expressed Estonia’s readiness to increase coordination and continue supporting the Peshmerga forces. Estonian defense Minister Pevkur expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality extended by the Kurdistan authorities, highlighting the shared values and common goals that unite Estonia and the Kurdistan region. He emphasized the importance of continued dialogue and collaboration in addressing the evolving security landscape and expressed Estonia’s willingness to further enhance defense cooperation in the future.
Estonian troops will be deployed to the military base in Kurdistan, joining the existing 4,000 Coalition troops. They will assume the vital task of securing the military site, taking over from the Dutch army. The defense minister plans to visit Estonian troops and military advisors deployed in the Kurdistan Region on Thursday.
As a NATO member, Estonia actively participates in the International Coalition to Defeat ISIS, which consists of 83 partners. The coalition’s primary objective is to provide advice, support and train Peshmerga forces in their ongoing efforts to completely eliminate the ISIS threat.
With the assistance of the Coalition, Peshmerga successfully reclaimed territory from ISIS, putting an end to its self-proclaimed caliphate in 2017.
