Italy to send military instructors to Iraq

Rome will send military instructors to Iraq, Italy’s Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said Tuesday.

Gentiloni, during a 24-hour visit to Iraq, said in a joint press conference in Baghdad with his Iraqi counterpart, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, that Italy hoped to strengthen its relations with Iraq.

Gentiloni announced that Italy would be sending military instructors to train the Iraqi army, and would continue to support Baghdad's fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Iraqi Foreign Minister  al-Jaafari said he hoped the support would continue in the future.

“Iraq is fighting against an enemy, which is destroying humanity’s culture,” al-Jaafari said.

Paolo Gentiloni is expected to go to Erbil to meet with the Kurdish Regional Government’s prime minister, Nechirvan Barzani.