Foreign Minister affirms to Italian Defense Minister Baghdad commitment to peace

Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein stressed during a meeting held on Friday October 16 2026 with Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto at the Italian Ministry of Defense headquarters that Baghdad does not seek war and consistently supports paths leading to peace as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and develop joint cooperation in military and security fields. The Iraqi minister expressed his gratitude to his Italian counterpart for the warm reception and his happiness for the renewed meeting while Minister Crosetto welcomed the visit praising the strength and continuous development of bilateral ties across various sectors. The two sides discussed the vital role of the international coalition against terrorism and the effective contribution of Italian forces in operations aimed at defeating the terrorist organization ISIS in addition to their ongoing efforts in training elements of the Iraqi armed forces and Peshmerga forces to raise their combat and security readiness. Both sides agreed on the importance of continuing joint efforts to eradicate the roots of terrorism and prevent the return of extremist elements to threaten national security. The Italian minister described Iraq as a pivotal pillar for stability in the Middle East reiterating his country readiness to continue supporting Iraq whenever requested. The discussions reviewed the training programs and specialized courses provided by Italian military institutions for Iraqi army and Peshmerga officers. For his part Fuad Hussein appreciated the Italian government support and the fruitful field partnership in combating ISIS explaining that the contributions of the international coalition and the Italian side have clearly helped defend the country while emphasizing the importance of sustaining military cooperation and joint qualification programs. He pointed out that the international coalition was established in response to urgent security needs to counter terrorism noting that the organization still poses an ideological threat and maintains sleeper cells in scattered areas while Iraqi forces have proven their high capability to confront these threats. The two sides also reviewed regional developments and the repercussions of ongoing conflicts where Fuad Hussein reiterated that Iraq rejects war and supports calm pointing to the complexity of escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran. Furthermore the two sides discussed the economic impacts of regional conflicts on local and European arenas along with addressing pending armament files inherited from the previous regime while emphasizing the importance of resolving them to serve the common interests of both countries.