Category: Military

“For France and for me personally, it is an honour and immense privilege to take over command of the NATO Mission in Iraq, a country often regarded as the cradle of civilization,” Major General Hintzy said. “Together with Iraqi security institutions and Iraqi Security Forces, we share a common goal. Our success will never be an individual success, but rather a collective one to develop tailored and sustainable solutions that will help Iraq as a valued partner for NATO,” he pointed out.

The outgoing commander, Lieutenant General Lucas Schreurs, thanked his Iraqi counterparts for their hospitality and excellent cooperation and praised them for their commitment to the cooperation with NATO and to further strengthening the Iraqi security forces and institutions. “To our Iraqi partners — your resilience and leadership inspire us. We have learned much from you, and it has been a privilege to serve alongside you. To our Allies and partners — thank you for investing in Iraq’s future and in our shared security,” he said. “Christophe, I pass this command to you with full confidence. You inherit a team of dedicated professionals and a resilient network of partnerships. I know you will lead with vision and respect for both NATO’s principles and the Iraqi context. This mission is about people — about trust, support, and sovereignty. I know you will carry it forward with the integrity it deserves,” Lieutenant General Schreurs added.

At the NATO Summit in Brussels in July 2018, Allied leaders launched NATO Mission Iraq, following a request and upon invitation from the Government of Iraq. The mission was established in Baghdad, in October 2018. It is a non-combat, advisory, and capacity-building mission that assists Iraq in building more sustainable, transparent, inclusive and effective security institutions and forces, so that they themselves are able to stabilise their country, fight terrorism, and prevent the return of ISIS/Daesh.

All efforts of NATO Mission Iraq are carried out with the consent of the Iraqi government and conducted in full respect of Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Ahead of the change of command ceremony of NATO Mission Iraq, NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Operations, Tom Goffus, participated in the second meeting of the High-Level Dialogue for Partnership between NATO and Iraq, held in Baghdad, on 21 May. “This second meeting of the High-Level Dialogue for Partnership, here in Baghdad, is a testimony to our partnership with Iraq and to cementing this dialogue,” he said, adding that “NATO continues to stand prepared to support the Government of Iraq and its security institutions into the future through NATO Mission Iraq.”

The High-Level Dialogue for Partnership between NATO and Iraq was launched in Brussels on 27 August 2024. It provides an additional framework for consultations and exchange of views on issues of mutual interest – including stability across the Middle East.

Mr Rutte thanked the Netherlands for its steadfast contributions to the Alliance’s collective defence, playing “a pivotal role in strengthening the Alliance” on the ground, in the sky and at sea. He also thanked the Prime Minister for the excellent cooperation in organising the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague.

The Secretary General welcomed efforts to invest in modernised land forces and cutting-edge capabilities, including allocating over €1 billion to expand the Dutch defence industry. At the same time, he urged all Allies to invest even more, including in the defence industry and in defence-related areas such as infrastructure and resilience. “2% will not be nearly enough to meet the capability targets that Allies will soon agree,” Mr Rutte stated.

On Ukraine, Mr Rutte thanked the Netherlands for its impressive offer of 3.5 billion euros in support for Ukraine in 2026, including €100 million for NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package. “Your contributions clearly underscore your long-term commitment to Kyiv’s sovereignty and security. This is a priority we all share” he emphasised.

The Secretary General praised Czechia as a strong and reliable Ally, highlighting its defence investment and support to Ukraine. “You spend more than 2% of GDP on defence, and I welcome the commitment you’ve already made to increase defence spending to 3% in the coming years,” said Mr Rutte.

Czechia plays an important role in NATO’s deterrence and defence, contributing to Forward Land Forces in Slovakia, Latvia and Lithuania. This year, Czechia will also deploy combat aircraft to Iceland in support of NATO’s air policing mission.

The Secretary General commended Czechia’s substantial support to Ukraine, including over 1.3 billion euros in military assistance. He welcomed the success of the Czech-led ammunition initiative, which has helped deliver over 3 million rounds of large-calibre ammunition to Ukraine, including 1.5 million in 2024 alone. Mr Rutte also underlined Czechia’s growing role in NATO’s long-term support to Ukraine, including contributions to NATO’s Security Assistance and Training command (NSATU) in Wiesbaden and the deployment of 20 personnel to NSATU’s Logistics Enabling Nodes this July.

Looking ahead to the NATO Summit in The Hague, Secretary General Rutte stressed the importance of strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence even further, increasing defence spending, and building a stronger and more innovative transatlantic defence industry. “We will need to do much more, and this will remain our focus as we prepare for The Hague Summit,” he said. “We have a lot of work to do. And I know I can count on Czechia’s continued commitment and leadership.”