ERBIL () — Germany has welcomed the completion of the Peshmerga unification process under the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, describing the further consolidation of the reform as important and reaffirming Berlin’s commitment to its partnership with the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
In an exclusive comment to English, the German Consulate General in Erbil said Germany remains committed to its partnership with the Kurdistan Region and Iraq and will continue engaging closely with its partners on security and other areas of cooperation.
“Germany welcomes the ongoing efforts to unify and professionalize the Peshmerga forces under the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs,” the Consulate General said.
“The further consolidation of this reform process remains important,” it added, reaffirming Germany’s continued partnership with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
The German statement comes after the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced on Monday the completion of the long-running process to unify the Peshmerga forces under a single institutional command structure.
The reform process has been seeking to strengthen coordination, professionalize the Peshmerga forces, and establish unified command and administrative structures under the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs.
Germany has been among the Kurdistan Region’s international partners in the security sector, including through support for the Peshmerga and efforts to strengthen their institutional capabilities.
However, Berlin said the future scope and modalities of its engagement are currently under consideration and could not be detailed at this stage.
“Germany will stay closely engaged with its partners to support regional stability and security,” the Consulate General said.
The German mission also emphasized that its partnership with the Kurdistan Region extends beyond security cooperation.
“Furthermore, German engagement extends well beyond the security sector,” it said, noting that Germany remains “one of the major international partners and donors in various fields.”
“Germany remains committed to this broad cooperation,” the Consulate General added.
Germany’s comments underscore the continued international focus on the Peshmerga reform process, which has been a key component of efforts to strengthen the Kurdistan Region’s security institutions and improve coordination among its forces.
The unification of the Peshmerga has also been a longstanding priority in the Kurdistan Region’s relations with its international partners, particularly amid continued security challenges facing Iraq and the wider region.
With the structural phase declared complete, the significance of the development lies in the shift from the process of unification toward the operation of the Peshmerga through its new command structure.
The Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs has described the completion of unification as the beginning of a new phase in which the reorganized force will function through its military divisions, support formations and regional commands.
Under the new organization, the Peshmerga forces have been arranged into 11 military divisions, including two support forces, one commando unit and two military regional commands.
The ministry has said the broader reform places forces within a hierarchy of brigades, divisions and regional commands operating through unified command and control.
Germany has been a longstanding international partner of the Kurdistan Region in the security sector, particularly through its support for the Peshmerga forces in the fight against ISIS.
Berlin has provided military training, equipment, and advisory assistance, while also supporting efforts to strengthen the Peshmerga’s institutional capacity and professionalize its forces under the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs.
Germany has also maintained broader cooperation with the Kurdistan Region in humanitarian, development, and economic fields.
