Stefano Tomat is visiting Iraq for the first time since his appointment in September as Head of the 11 civilian Common Security and Defence Policy missions deployed by the EU on three continents.

The Civilian Operations Commander met with President Abdellatif Rashid, Minister of Interior Abdul Amir Al-Shammari, National Security Advisor Qassim Al-Araji, High Committee on Security Sector Reform Chairman Khalid Al-Obaidi, the Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq, Claudio Cordone and several other Iraqi and international interlocutors.

Stefano Tomat’s visit takes place as EUAM Iraq marks its fifth anniversary. The Mission was launched by the Council of the European Union in October 2017 at the request of the Government of Iraq to support Iraqi civilian security sector reform.  On 6 December, Representatives from several Iraqi and international partner institutions participated in an event to mark the occasion at the Mission’s headquarters in Baghdad, where several senior Iraqi government officials delivered statements praising EUAM Iraq’s contribution to Iraqi security sector reform.

Civilian Operations Commander Stefano TOMAT said : “During my visit here in Baghdad, I was able  to discuss directly with EUAM Iraq colleagues and their Iraqi counterparts the progress that Iraq is making  on its path towards civilian security sector reform, the main remaining challenges and how we can best support Iraq in tackling them effectively. The insight provided by EUAM advisers as well as our Iraqi partners  has been enriching . It has been great to see first-hand the mutual trust that has been built between the Mission and its Iraqi counterparts.”

During the past five years, EUAM Iraq’s engagement in Iraq has grown in breadth and depth, covering a range of key thematic security sector reform strands. Examples are institutional reform, human resources management, anti-corruption, national security legislation, command and control, gender and human rights, anti-organised crime, border management, and cultural heritage protection.

EUAM Iraq Head of Mission Anders WIBERG said : “The Mission has become a well-regarded civilian security sector reform actor in Iraq, which enjoys  a close working relationship  with our counterparts in the Iraqi government as well as our international partners. We welcome a new government in Iraq, and we are pleased to see that both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Interior have taken a strong interest in our work and are now aiming for deeper cooperation. I also want to thank our counterparts in the Kurdistan Region. They have demonstrated increasing interest in our Mission’s role which I see as highly promising.”

EUAM Iraq, based in Baghdad with a presence in Erbil and outreach in the governorates, is composed of up to 84 European Union international experts and 34 national staff. The current Mission mandate extends until May 2024. EUAM Iraq’s objective includes providing strategic advice and expertise to the Iraqi authorities on the civilian aspects of the Security Sector Reform, including the National Security Strategy, associated strategies and other national security priorities.