Paris, France, March 30, 2021

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani was received by President Emmanuel Macron of France at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Tuesday.

Discussions covered a wide range of topics, including the situation in Iraq, the Kurdistan Region and the broader region. The two Presidents reiterated the need to strengthen Iraq and the Kurdistan Region’s ties with France in order to secure peace and security in Iraq and the wider region and to confront the threats of ISIS. Both sides underlined the importance of mutual approach and understanding in order to preserve regional peace and stability.

President Macron expressed delight at meeting with President Nechirvan Barzani and thanked the President for his visit despite the difficult situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. President Macron reaffirmed his country’s support for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region within the international coalition.

President Emmanuel Macron described the latest visit by His Holiness Pope Francis to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region as an important event that the Pope reflected upon with joy. President Nechirvan Barzani underlined that the Pope’s visit to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region left a positive impact on all communities in the country.

President Nechirvan Barzani expressed the gratitude and appreciation of the Kurdistan Region for the support and assistance offered by President Macron and France to the people of Kurdistan Region during the difficult times. The President expressed Kurdistan Region’s readiness to work together with France and the international community in order to resolve the disputes in Iraq and secure peace and stability in the region.

President Nechirvan Barzani referred to the significance of the support from France and the international community in order to find solutions to the Baghdad-Erbil pending disagreements. The President viewed the participation of all Iraqi communities in the political process as imperative.

Other topics discussed included the threats of terror, the resurgence of ISIS and the importance of cooperation and coordination between the Peshmerga and the Iraqi army in the disputed territories in order to avoid security vacuum used by ISIS terror networks. President Macron agreed that ISIS is still a serious threat and the international community will continue to fight it.

The latest on the COVID-19 pandemic in France, Iraq and the Kurdistan Region and ways to confront it, the status of the refugees and the IDPs in the camps hosted by the Kurdistan Region and their need for continued support from the international community were also highlighted.

To support the voluntary return of the refugees and the IDPs to their reconstructed areas, the status of the Yezidis in the Shingal district and the Christians in Nineveh Province, the upcoming Iraq elections, the latest developments in Kurdistan Region, the relations of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region with the regional countries and other topics of mutual interest were also discussed during the meeting.