Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani of Iraq to NATO Headquarters, on Monday (8 September 2025), together with Iraq's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein. They took stock of the evolving NATO-Iraq partnership, notably within the frameworks of NATO Mission Iraq (NMI) and the NATO High Level Dialogue for Partnership. They exchanged views on issues of mutual concern, including in relation to the latest developments across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Prime Minister al-Sudani also participated in a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, where he addressed NATO Allies and NMI operational partners, Australia and Austria. Secretary General Rutte expressed gratitude for the Prime Minister's leadership and his government's continued commitment to cooperating with NMI, to deepening the NATO-Iraq partnership, and for the stabilising role played by Iraq in the region.
NATO Mission Iraq (NMI) is a non-combat advisory and capacity-building mission that was established in 2018 following a request and upon invitation from the Iraqi government. It is currently led by Major General Christophe Hintzy, from France. It assists Iraq in building more sustainable, transparent, inclusive and effective security institutions and forces, enabling them to stabilise their country, fight terrorism, and prevent the return of ISIS/Daesh. NMI advises relevant Iraqi defence and security officials in the Ministry of Defence, the Office of the National Security Advisor, and the Federal Police Command within the Iraqi Ministry of Interior. The mission also advises Iraq's professional military education institutions in the greater Baghdad area. All NMI activities are carried out on request by, and with the consent of, the Iraqi government, and are conducted in full respect of Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Iraqi authorities have identified a number of primary objectives for cooperation with NMI. These include security education, logistics, cyber defence, border security, crisis and disaster management, and good governance. NMI works in close coordination with other stakeholders, such as the United Nations and the European Union Advisory Mission.
Building on their long-standing partnership, NATO and Iraq launched a political dialogue process in 2024. This reflects NATO and Iraq's common interest in a stable and secure Middle East. At the NATO Summit in Washington in 2024, Allies agreed an action plan that will increase NATO's engagement in the Middle East, North Africa and the Sahel regions. As part of this plan, NATO appointed a Special Representative for the southern neighbourhood, to serve as NATO's focal point for the region. The Special Representative is responsible for coordinating and enhancing the visibility of NATO's efforts in the south, and strengthening engagement with partners.
