Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani received Mr. Olivier Decottignies, France’s Consul General in Erbil on Thursday.

At the meeting, Mr. Decottignies conveyed a letter from President Emmanuel Macron of France to President Nechirvan Barzani, which reads as follows:

“Your Excellency Mr. President, Dear Nechirvan,

On behalf of France and myself, I am honored and pleased to thank you for the warm reception I received in Erbil, as I promised you in our earlier meetings in Baghdad and Paris to visit Erbil.”

President Macron, in another part of the letter, says that:

“France and the Kurdistan Region have old and unique relations which we need to preserve at the highest level. Our mutual friendship, trust and allegiance in our meeting reflected on the richness of exchange of ideas between us. I meant to appreciate and value this loyalty and friendship by meeting President Masoud Barzani and the family of martyr Hojam Surchi in Erbil.”

In the last part of the letter, President Macron writes:

“I am sure that the Kurdistan Region will benefit from the progresses made in the Baghdad Conference for Partnership and Coordination. Rest assured that France will continue its commitment to you against terrorism and on developing economic relations.

I truthfully wish you success Mr. President. Please accept my sincerest regards.”

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday met the French Consul General to Erbil Olivier Decottignies, who delivered a key message from French President Emmanuel Macron.

In his letter President Macron thanked PM Barzani for his warm welcome in Erbil.

He told the Premier that Kurdistan Region and France enjoy an ‘enduring and unique relationship,’ that must be maintained as a priority.

President Macron pledged France will ‘continue to cooperate’ with the KRG in stopping terrorism and will also strive further to develop ‘economic and social relations.