The Kurdish leadership in northern Iraq said that the German Defence Minister, Ursula von der Leyen, confirmed that her country will continue to support the Peshmerga forces.

According to a statement issued by the Kurdish leadership, von der Leyen discussed the latest political developments, as well as the details of the relationship between the Kurdish region and Iraq, in a phone call with President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, Masoud Barzani.

The statement noted that the minister was happy that the military clashes between the Peshmerga and Iraqi forces had not escalated, praising the decision to resume dialogue and negotiations between Irbil and Baghdad.

The defence minister had previously announced that her country would stop the military training programme in Irbil in order to send a message that she supports the unity of Iraq.

Read: Iraq PM calls on Peshmerga to operate under his command

In a phone call with the Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider Al-Abadi, von der Leyen assured him that Germany would establish capacity building programmes, as well as programmes in other fields, to back its partners, which would be discussed after the formation of a German government.

Al-Abadi thanked Germany for its support of Iraq’s unity and stressed that Iraqi forces have been re-deployed and order has been restored in Kirkuk, in accordance with legal and constitutional measures.