“The two exchanged views on the situation of the Kurdistan Region and agreed that the Kurdistan parliamentary elections need to be held at an appropriate time this year, with the participation of all the political parties and components of Kurdistan,” read a statement from the Presidency on the meeting.
The Kurdistan Region elections were initially scheduled for two years, but the process has been delayed several times since. The polls were last set for June 10, but the Iraqi electoral body announced that it would not be able to supervise the process on that date, suggesting they be held on September 5 instead. A new date for the elections has yet to be announced.
Rencontre avec le Président @IKRPresident. Echanges approfondis sur la situation dans la region autonome, notamment la tenue des élections attendue de tous et sur la dynamique en cours entre Bagdad et Erbil. pic.twitter.com/g3yFBfxU6u
— Patrick Durel (@FrPatrickDurel) June 9, 2024
The importance of dialogue between Erbil and Baghdad to resolve outstanding issues, preserving Iraq’s political stability, boosting bilateral relations, and avenues for cooperation were also discussed during the meeting.
The relationship between the Kurds and France goes back to the 1980s. Danielle Mitterrand, first lady of France from 1981 to 1995, advocated for Kurds suffering under the regime of Saddam Hussein and was instrumental in campaigning for the no-fly zone that allowed the Kurdistan Region to develop its current autonomy. She was affectionately known as the “Mother of Kurds”, and inaugurated the first Kurdish parliament in 1992.
A core member of the US-led global coalition against ISIS, France has trained about 10,000 Iraqi soldiers, including Kurdish Peshmerga forces. The country’s armed forces continue to play a key role in the anti-ISIS fight through Operation Chammal.
In August, three French soldiers were killed in Iraq in separate occasions as part of the operation.
