PARIS, France - France on Thursday urged political parties in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region to settle their differences and reach agreement over extending the term of President Masoud Barzani.

“We hope all parties will be united in resolving the political crisis Iraqi Kurdistan is facing now, including the issue of the presidency,” French Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexandre Giorgini told a news conference.

He also reiterated French support for the autonomous Kurdish enclave in northern Iraq over its year-long war with the Islamic State group (ISIS).

“France will support Iraqi Kurds in the war against ISIS,” he told reporters.

Kurdish parties have been divided in the past several months over another extension to Barzani’s term as president, which officially ends in about a week.

Last March, two parliamentarians came to blows in the Kurdish legislature over the issue.

Barzani has been president since 2005. He received a two-year extension in 2013, after completing two terms in office.

Rudaw