Ruben Brekelmans, the Minister of Defense of the Netherlands, visited the Kurdistan Region on Monday and underlined in an interview with Kurdistan Chronicle that it is important that Dutch military advisors stay in the Kurdistan Region.

During his visit, he met with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani to discuss the future of the anti-ISIS mission in Iraq and peshmerga reform. On Sunday, he also met with top Iraqi officials and the commander of the U.S.-led Coalition against ISIS.

“I think it’s important to stay active here in the Kurdistan Region, because we have been here for such a long time so we do have a strong network and a deep understanding of the dynamics here, which are quite complicated,” he said.

The #Netherland Defense Minister arrived at the #KRI, & was welcomed by the @KRG_MOPE Minister, president of Diwan of the #Kurdistan Region presidency, the Head of KRG department of Foreign Relations, the Netherland Ambassador & Consul in #Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. pic.twitter.com/fKdgyAexPk

— Ministry of Peshmerga (@KRG_MOPE) December 23, 2024

Last year, the Dutch military sent 145 soldiers to Baghdad for the NATO mission and assumed its command in May. Meanwhile, the 120 Dutch troops previously stationed in Erbil have departed, leaving five advisors in the Kurdistan Region.

“Even though we are now currently here with only four or five people, we can still have significant value. President Nechirvan Barzani just expressed to me that he very much appreciates what we have done over the years. Even with a small number of people we can have a relevant impact,” Minister Brekelmans added.

“So, I think it’s important to stay here. There will be periods of time maybe with a bit more people or less people but it’s important that we keep our engagement and maintain the network, partnership, and even friendships that we have built up over the years.”

President Nechirvan Barzani expressed his gratitude to the Netherlands for its ongoing assistance to the peshmerga in their battle against ISIS, highlighting the significant contribution of Dutch forces in enhancing the training and capabilities of the peshmerga.

“The Kurdistan Region values its strong relations with the Netherlands, and I reiterate my appreciation for the Kingdom’s contribution in the war against terror,” President Nechirvan Barzani posted on X.

I’m delighted to receive the Dutch @DefensieMin Ruben Brekelmans in Erbil.

The Kurdistan Region values its strong relations with the Netherlands, and I reiterate my appreciation for the Kingdom's contribution in the war against terror.

I look forward to continuing our… pic.twitter.com/j9aIKu3zGB

— Nechirvan Barzani (@IKRPresident) December 23, 2024

“I look forward to continuing our partnership and cooperation to promote peace and stability throughout the region.”

Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans in a post on X stated that "in the Kurdish Region of Iraq, many geopolitical tensions in the Middle East converge. That is why it is important for the Netherlands to contribute to stability and the reform of the armed forces."

He also added that "with the tensions in Syria, our support for the Kurdish forces remains of great importance. Our relationship is strong and goes back a long way."

Furthermore, both sides also discussed peshmerga reform. “President Nechirvan Barzani also expressed a lot of appreciation for what the Netherlands are doing,” Minister Brekelmans added.

In de Koerdische Regio in Irak komen veel geopolitieke spanningen in het Midden-Oosten samen.

Daarom is het belangrijk dat Nederland bijdraagt aan stabiliteit en hervorming van de strijdkrachten.

Ook tijdens de feestdagen werken onze mensen onvermoeibaar door. Alle waardering! pic.twitter.com/0vvLznYyVv

— Ruben Brekelmans (@DefensieMin) December 23, 2024

“They also told me that they are making progress with peshmerga reform. Some things are not going as fast as we would like to see, but he was very transparent about this. There’s a clear commitment from both sides to make progress, for example, in integrating the 70s and 80s.”

Peshmerga troops are split between political factions, with 70 units under the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and 80 units under the Kurdistan Democratic Party. The goal of the peshmerga reform project is to unite these units as Regional Guard Brigades under the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs by 2026.

The Netherlands is one of the countries that support the peshmerga reform program with advisors in the Kurdistan Region, also named the Multinational Advisory Group.

“The peshmerga took a very prominent role in fighting ISIS and we were very happy today that we could also support them in this and I think it was very impressive that Iraq and also the peshmerga were able to suppress ISIS,” Minister Brekelmans said.

Furthermore, both sides discussed the future of the anti-ISIS Coalition. The United States and the Iraqi government in September announced that the Coalition mission will end in Iraq by September 2025.

Met President Barzani van Koerdische Autonome Regio in Irak gesproken over veiligheid en stabiliteit.

Met de spanningen in Syrië blijft onze ondersteuning van de Koerdische strijdkrachten van groot belang.

Onze relatie is hecht en gaat ver terug. Dank voor de warme ontvangst! pic.twitter.com/VDA2GZosOJ

— Ruben Brekelmans (@DefensieMin) December 23, 2024

“It was announced that the anti-ISIS coalition will end in Iraq, or at least they will scale it down, and there are also discussions now on whether that should take place or not,” he concluded.

“If tensions in Syria increase, then it might enable ISIS to strengthen their position in Syria, and then they’d maybe cross the border to Iraq and it could create a lot of instability,” Minister Brekelmans warned.