Italy takes command of NATO Mission Iraq

Europe, Middle East, News May 13, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Italian Major General Giovanni Iannucci takes command of NATO Mission Iraq in a change of command ceremony held in Baghdad, Iraq on May 10.

Major General Giovanni succeeded Denmark’s Lieutenant General Michael Lollesgaard, who assumed the NATO Mission Iraq command on May 6, 2021.

According to the NATO press release, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said during the occasion of the change of command: “I commend Lieutenant General Lollesgaard for his outstanding services and exemplary leadership, and for the daily efforts that he and his personnel undertook to ensure the progress of our mission, in close coordination and cooperation with the Iraqi authorities. And I welcome the arrival of Major General Iannucci to head up our mission.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg further said that “I look forward to working closely with him as he leads our capacity-building activities in support of the Iraqi security institutions and armed forces, as requested by the Iraqi government.”

The NATO statement stressed that all efforts of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Mission in Iraq “are carried out with the consent of the Iraqi government and conducted in full respect of Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

*^{New NATO Mission Iraq Commander Giovanni Iannucci and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. Tim Radford. (Image Credit: NATO)}*

“NATO Mission Iraq is another concrete demonstration of NATO’s readiness to address all challenges to the Euro-Atlantic region, from any direction, through a 360-degree approach to security,” the statement added.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization Mission Iraq was launched in July 2018 at the NATO Summit held in Brussels, following a request from the Iraqi government.

The Mission was established in Baghdad in October 2018 and mainly serves as an advisory and capacity-building non-combat mission that helps the Iraqi government in building transparent and inclusive institutions, as well as assists the Iraqi armed forces to improve the security and stabilize the country, effectively fight terrorism, and prevent the return of terrorist organizations such as Islamic State (ISIS).