Ukraine has notified NATO of its readiness to become the Alliance’s operational partner in Iraq, said Dmytro Kuleba, the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine during a meeting with NATO Deputy Secretary General for Operations John Manza at NATO headquarters on Jan. 14.
Kuleba said that he had informed Manza of Ukraine’s plan to send 20 soldiers in support of the NATO mission in Iraq after the Alliance resumes its work. He added that the invitation to become an operational partner of the Alliance mission in Iraq “testifies to the recognition of the value of Ukrainian military experience and professionalism.”
Manza, in turn, stressed the importance of Ukraine’s participation in the Iraq mission.
The two parties also agreed on joint steps to introduce NATO ‘s new “One Partner One Program” approach and discussed the prospects of adopting a national security strategy for Ukraine, as well as further preparation of strategic documentation for its implementation.
