Iraq aims to improve its military force by asking the National Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for training assistance, Reuters reported.
According to Oana Lungescu, the spokesperson for the international alliance, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg coordinated with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi of Iraq to discuss the terms of the training procedure.
However, Lungesco noted that before such an operation takes place, the prime minister's request for training assistance will first be analyzed by officials from NATO.
In addition, if the training will take place within Iraq, a legal agreement between al-Abadi's administration and NATO must be established before proceeding with the operation.
"Anything NATO might do in support of Iraq's defense capacity building would need to be complementary to the considerable efforts already undertaken by the U.S.-led coalition and individual NATO allies," she said in a statement.
Iraq's decision to seek help from NATO is in response to the country's growing problem regarding the threat posed by Islamic State militants.
On Dec. 3, al-Abadi along with the other leaders of the world gathered at NATO's headquarters in Brussels to discuss possible offensive strategies against the extremist group, according to PBS.
During the gathering, al-Abadi told NATO members that Iraq is in dire need of their assistance since the fight against ISIS is already happening within the country.
"I think we're the only country in the Middle East who is really fighting Daesh on the ground," the prime minister said during the meeting.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told al-Abadi and officials of the international alliance that the fight against ISIS may continue for a long time.
"We recognize the hard work that remains to be done," he said. "Our commitment will be measured most likely in years, but our efforts are already having a significant impact.
"We will engage in this campaign for as long as it takes to prevail," Kerry added.
