Shafaq News- Erbil
Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said the Peshmerga are a constitutional force and an important part of Iraq's defense system, and called for stronger military coordination between the Peshmerga and the Iraqi army to protect stability in the country.
In remarks during the Peshmerga unification ceremony on Monday, he renewed his support for Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and urged the federal government to help protect the rights of Peshmerga personnel and to ensure they receive their full salaries, on the same basis as other members of Iraq's armed forces, given their constitutional status.
Barzani said the agreement, under a memorandum of understanding signed between the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs and the US Department of Defense, brings the Peshmerga into a single structure, and he called the day a historic one for the people of Kurdistan. He said the step was reached after repeated meetings and sustained work.
He credited Kurdistan Democratic Party leader and former KRI president Masoud Barzani, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, and Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government Qubad Talabani, along with Peshmerga fighters, with roles in reaching the agreement. Barzani also thanked the United States and coalition forces for support he said was central to defeating the Islamic State group (ISIS).
“Unification is one stage in a longer process, and the phase that follows is the more important one: strengthening the forces, developing their military and defensive capabilities, and training them to international standards.”
Peshmerga Affairs Minister Shoresh Ismail, also speaking at the ceremony, called the unification “a major achievement,” declaring that the process of bringing the forces under a national framework led by his ministry had been successfully completed. He praised the Global Coalition and its partners for providing training, weapons, and financial assistance.