Canadians soon to join EUAM Iraq. New Zealanders too?

(B2) The European Union and Canada are getting closer on the Iraqi ground. In addition to the cooperation projects, a Canadian police officer should soon join EUAM Iraq. 

A delegation from the Canadian Peace and Stabilization Operations Program and the Canadian Ambassador to Iraq visited EUAM Iraq at the end of March. The opportunity to discuss several avenues of collaboration between Canada and the EU. In addition to gender, peace and security projects, which represent a common priority, details regarding the future deployment of a Canadian police officer within EUAM have been finalized. The deployment will be in the coming months “, ensured the mission. EU ambassadors in the Political and Security Committee (PSC) still have to agree before the deployment can take place.

NB: Canada currently has the Command of the NATO training mission in Iraq, with 250 soldiers and four CH-146 Griffon helicopters on the ground.

After Canada, New Zealand?

New Zealand could also join the mission. The subject was raised during a meeting between the Head of Mission and the New Zealand Ambassador on March 26. " No agreement has been signed yet, but it could be done soon the mission told B2.

Deployment within a CSDP mission has been possible since the signing of a Partnership Agreement on Relations and Cooperation (PARC) between New Zealand and the European Union on 5 October 2016.

Iraq is the field in which the largest number of New Zealand soldiers are deployed: 143 soldiers are currently on mission there.

(MHA)