The Civilian Operations Commander (CivOpsCdr), Mr. Stefano Tomat, accompanied by Gabor Holota, Acting Head of MENA Sector at CivOpsHQ, visited EUAM Iraq from the 22 to 24 of June, reaffirming the European Union’s (EU) commitment to supporting Iraq’s civilian security sector reform efforts and engaging directly with Mission Members.

Together with EUAM Iraq’s Head of Mission Ralf Schröder, Mr. Tomat met with H.E. Nizar Amidi, the President of Iraq. They also met with several senior Iraqi officials, including H.E. Ali Falih Kadhim al-Zaidi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, Mr. Hussein al-Awadi, the Acting Minister of Interior, and Mr. Qasim al-Aboudi, National Security Adviser. During his visit to Baghdad, Mr. Tomat also met with Ambassador Klemens Semtner, Head of the EU Delegation to Iraq, and held discussions with the EUAM Iraq’s Senior Management Team on the Mission’s ongoing activities and strategic priorities.

The high-level meetings provided an opportunity to discuss the continued cooperation between the EU and Iraq in the field of civilian security sector reform, as well as the important role played by EUAM Iraq in supporting Iraqi institutions through strategic advice, coordination and capacity-building.

A key moment of the visit was the all-staff meeting held at the Mission headquarters in Baghdad. All Mission Members had the opportunity to engage directly with the CivOpsCdr, raising questions and sharing views on the Mission’s work, future priorities and the wider CSDP context.

The interactive session generated lively discussions and allowed staff members to exchange perspectives with the head of the EU’s civilian missions, fostering openness and dialogue across the organisation.

Erbil

On the second day, Mr. Tomat travelled to Erbil, where he continued his engagement with senior representatives of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), including H.E. Rebar Ahmed Khalid, Minister of Interior, KRG and Mr. Safeen Dizayee, the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, KRG.

In Erbil, he also visited EUAM Iraq’s regional office and met with Mission Members based there. The visit concluded with a debriefing with the Erbil team and discussions on the Mission’s achievements, challenges and future priorities.

Mr. Tomat’s visit underlined the EU’s continued support for Iraq’s security sector reform agenda and highlighted the important contribution of EUAM Iraq personnel in strengthening cooperation between the EU and Iraqi institutions.