The Diplomat
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, met yesterday in Washington, on the sidelines of the NATO Summit, with his counterpart from Iraq, Fuad Hussein, with whom he addressed the situation in Gaza and the Middle East and the challenges in the southern flank of the Atlantic Alliance.
“On the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Washington I met with my Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein,” the minister declared through the X social network. “We have discussed our bilateral relations, including economic ones, and the situation in Gaza and the Middle East,” he continued. “Also the challenges on NATO’s southern flank,” he concluded.
Albares had a previous meeting with Hussein on January 25 in Baghdad, within the framework of a tour of the Middle East that included Lebanon. At that meeting, the minister assured at a press conference that Spain “has a long-standing commitment to Iraq” and wants to continue supporting this country “in this difficult regional context.”
“We are here at the request of Iraq and we will leave when the Government of Iraq considers it convenient,” said Albares, whose visit took place in the middle of the debate on the possible withdrawal of the international forces deployed in Iraq within the framework of the advisory mission of NATO and the US-led coalition against Daesh.
Spain has around 180 Spanish soldiers in the international training coalition for Iraqi security forces in their fight against Daesh, made up of 60 countries and led by the United States. Currently, these tasks are carried out by Spanish instructors at the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center, where units of the Iraqi counterterrorism service (CTS) are trained by members of the Coalition’s Special Operations Unit (SOTG).
Also part of the Spanish contingent in Iraq are the soldiers belonging to Task Force Toro (Helicopter Unit), deployed at the Al Asad air base, whose main mission is to provide air transportation to Coalition troops through Chinook helicopters. and Cougar.
In addition, Spain has 178 troops deployed in the NATO Mission in Iraq (NMI). Lieutenant General José Antonio Agüero has been in command of this mission since May 2023.
