Senior Iraqi officials led by National Security Adviser Qasim Al-Abud met NATO representatives at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels on Thursday to discuss the NATO–Iraq partnership and regional security.
The Iraqi delegation held talks with Allies and members of NATO’s International Staff, including NATO Assistant Secretary General for Operations Dr Christian Buck, the alliance press service reported on Thursday.
NATO described the meeting as part of its high-level political dialogue with Iraq, which it said was launched in August 2024.
NATO Mission Iraq and relocation to Naples
NATO’s cooperation with Iraq includes practical support through NATO Mission Iraq (NMI) — a non-combat advisory and capacity-building mission — which it said has been operating since 2018 at the request of the Iraqi authorities.
The mission has been supporting efforts to develop Iraq’s security institutions and armed forces, including work intended to help stabilise the country, fight terrorism and prevent the return of ISIS — also known as Daesh.
All NMI activities are carried out at the request of, and with the consent of, the Iraqi government, and are conducted in full respect of Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“We are proud to work hand-in-hand every day to enable Iraq to build more sustainable, transparent, inclusive and effective armed forces and security institutions,” Dr Buck said.
NATO Mission Iraq personnel were relocated from the Middle East to Joint Force Command Naples in March 2026 in response to the regional security situation.
