French Ambassador announces visa service in Erbil
On his first official visit to Kurdistan since the arrival of the new French Consul General, Mr Alain Guépratte, Ambassador Denis Gauer announced the opening of a new visa section in France’s Erbil Consulate General by the end of the year.
“We are ready to fully develop our relations with Kurdistan, and we are encouraging French businesses to invest in the region,” the Ambassador said, emphasising that the new services would support these efforts, allowing residents and visitors in Kurdistan to receive French visas by applying directly to the Consulate.
The Prime Minister and Ambassador spoke at length about the Syrian crisis and the efforts that the government and people of the Kurdistan Region are making to address the needs of the more than 30,000 refugees who have already found shelter in the Region.
“We are doing everything we can to ensure that these people are not only provided food and shelter, but that they are also given real opportunities to continue their lives and their education here,” the Prime Minister said.
With hundreds of additional refugees arriving every day and no support coming from Baghdad, the $10 million that the KRG has allocated to address this issue will not last long. Prime Minister Barzani encouraged the Ambassador to convey the message back to Paris that greater international attention needs to be paid to this crisis both to end the fighting and to provide for the needs of those who have been victimized by it.
As part of his trip to the Region, the French Ambassador made a visit to the Domiz refugee camp in Duhok on Monday to see the efforts that are being made and assess the needs that continue to grow.
In addition to basic services, the KRG is working to ensure that education is provided to school-age children and that university opportunities are available for older students. The KRG has extended school enrollment deadlines and is providing funding and staff for classrooms being built at the site of the Domiz camp. The KRG is also issuing residency permits to give the refugees a chance to work and travel throughout the Region.
The Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations, Minister Falah Mustafa, also hosted Ambassador Gauer in a private meeting earlier in his visit and joined him in the meeting with Prime Minister Barzani and as well.
The Ambassador has also met with other senior KRG officials while in the Region, and he will visit Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani tomorrow before concluding his trip. He has been accompanied by the French Consul General in Erbil and a delegation from the French Embassy throughout his stay in Kurdistan.
