12 July 2024 (Kurdistan Chronicle)
On July 11, Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced its decision to upgrade the status of Italy’s Consulate in Erbil to Consulate General as of June 1st.
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Department of Foreign Relations Head Safeen Dizayee welcomed the decision, noting in a post on X that “this significant step will pave the way for increased cooperation and partnership between our nations. Congratulations to the Italian mission for this accomplishment.”
“We feel the privilege and the burden of honouring the decision taken by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to elevate our representation in Iraqi Kurdistan to Consulate General,” Italy’s Consulate General said in a post on X. “Grateful to the authorities of KRI (Kurdistan Region of Iraq) for their support and friendship, sure of further strengthening bilateral relations.”
During the celebration of Italy’s Republic Day on June 3, Italy’s Ambassador to Iraq Maurizio Greganti stated that “the elevation to Consulate General is the right recognition for this hard work and for the strong demand to increase the bilateral cooperation that comes from both the authorities and the population of Kurdistan.” He also underlined that “Italy will continue its military and diplomatic engagement in both bilateral and multilateral missions in Iraq.”
Italian Consul General Michele Camerota during the event also underlined that Italy believes “in the so-called soft power of culture and we feel that culture brings people together to promote mutual understanding.” Italy has promoted and supported Italian culinary, cultural, and archaeological projects in Kurdistan, while also supporting the Peshmerga reform program and trained Peshmerga forces. There are also 11 Italian archaeological missions currently active in Kurdistan.
According to Italy’s Nova News online newspaper, the Italian Army has trained 424 operators in the Kurdistan Region since the start of 2024. In 2023, it trained 1,970 Peshmerga fighters.
Consul General Camerota said the Italian military presence is a very important asset in the region. “We work very closely with the Peshmerga forces and we formally joined the Multinational Advisory Group (MNAG) this year.” Apart from Italy, the MNAG includes the Netherlands, the United States, the UK, and Germany, and backs the project to reform the Kurdish Peshmerga forces.
