Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Jens Stoltenberg.

The Prime Minister and the Secretary General discussed the current situation in Iraq. They emphasized the importance of de-escalating tensions and the need to support security and stability in Iraq and the wider region, notably through ongoing counter-Daesh efforts. They agreed on the important role of the NATO training mission in strengthening Iraqi security capacity. The Secretary General noted that the suspension of NATO training activities is a temporary force protection measure and that NATO is prepared to continue its activities when the situation permits.

The Secretary General thanked the Prime Minister for Canada’s leadership of the NATO training mission in Iraq and the Prime Minister reiterated Canada’s commitment to the success of the mission.