ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Consul General of France in the Kurdistan Region, Yann Braem, on Tuesday was awarded the rank of Knight (Chevalier) - the second-highest national honor after the Legion of Honor - in recognition of 19 years of diplomatic service.
The esteemed French diplomat said it was an honor and a source of pride to “serve and represent France with all the dignity that she deserves and promote the values and principles that are at the foundation of our national identity.”
Braem further thanked his family for standing by him through “this long and sometimes difficult journey.”
French Ambassador to Iraq, Patrick Durel, pinned the insignia on the senior French diplomat’s suit during an honorary ceremony held at the Consulate headquarters in Erbil, with prominent Kurdish officials and dignitaries in attendance.
Established in 1963 by French President and prominent military leader Charles de Gaulle, the National Order of Merit is France’s second-highest state honor, recognizing “distinguished” civil or military achievements.
The order consists of five ranks, with Knight being the entry level. Candidates typically require a minimum of 10 to 15 years of public or private service to be considered.
The prestigious honor has been awarded to prominent global figures and world leaders, including Spain’s King Juan Carlos, European politician and Holocaust survivor Simone Veil, and former French Presidents Jacques Chirac and François Hollande.
Notable cultural figures among its recipients include Charles Aznavour, Alain Delon, Jean-Paul Belmondo, and Gerard Depardieu.
Braem began his tenure as Consul General of France in Erbil in November 2023, where he continues to play an active role in strengthening the already close ties between Paris and the Kurdish people.
The relationship between the Kurds and France dates back to the 1980s, when Danielle Mitterrand, First Lady of France from 1981 to 1995, advocated for the Kurds suffering under the Baathist regime of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
Mitterrand played an instrumental role in campaigning for the establishment of a no-fly zone, which marked a cornerstone in the Kurdistan Region’s development toward its current autonomy. She is affectionately known as the “Mother of the Kurds” and inaugurated the first Kurdish regional parliament in 1992.
Moreover, France was among the first countries to open a consulate in the Kurdish capital of Erbil after the fall of Saddam in 2003 and has played a key role in supporting the Kurdish communities in both Iraq and Syria during the war against the Islamic State (ISIS).