German defense minister arrives in Erbil

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Erbil Monday evening after several meetings with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad the same day, reports Rudaw’s Sangar Abdulrahman at the Erbil International Airport.

Von der Leyen was received by senior Kurdish officials upon her arrival.  

"Von der Leyen is scheduled to visit a German training base in Erbil at first, and later will meet Masoud Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan region, and Nechirvan Barzani, the prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government," said Abdulrahman.

Von der Leyen met Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi and Iraqi Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri earlier Monday.

In September 2014 on her first visit to the Kurdistan region, von der Leyen assured the Kurdistan region at a press conference with Masoud Barzani that Germany would assist the region in the fight against ISIS, vowing to supply the Peshmerga with sufficient weapons.

"It is clear that a lot of support has arrived but more is needed," said von der Leyen at the press conference, adding that Berlin would consider sending military doctors to work alongside the Peshmerga on the front lines.

Von der Leyen' second visit to the Kurdistan region took place in January 2015

Germany has been one of the main providers of anti-tank missiles to the Peshmerga.

Rudaw has learned that 100 German advisers have trained 1,000 Peshmerga. Germany has handed over military aid worth $77 million to the Kurdistan region, including 30 MILAN missile launchers with 500 missiles.

The first cargo plane carrying the first delivery of high-tech German weapons arrived in Erbil on September 25, 2014 following Leyen’s first visit.