ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Officials and business leaders from Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and France gathered in Paris on Monday for a major forum aimed at boosting trade and investment ties. The event comes as Baghdad and Erbil are pushing to expand international partnerships by presenting their regions as stable, attractive destinations for foreign companies.
Ali Dolamari, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) representative to France, told Rudaw that “the political and diplomatic relations between the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and France are at a very high level,” noting that Paris is looking to deepen engagement in economic, academic, and scientific sectors.
Iraqi Trade Minister Atheer Dawood al-Gheriri told Rudaw that annual trade between Baghdad and Paris stands at around $2.2 billion - $1.8 billion of which is from Iraqi oil exports to France, with the remainder made up of French exports to Iraq.
A key milestone in Iraq-France cooperation notably came in the summer of 2023, when Baghdad signed a $27 billion agreement with French energy giant TotalEnergies to develop the country’s energy sector and support its transition toward sustainability.
Commenting on the significance of the Iraq-France Business Forum, Gheriri stated that it “embodies the vision of the Iraqi federal and [Kurdistan] Regional governments to develop economic relations with various countries, especially influential ones like France.”
He described the event as “a serious step to invite companies and send the message that Iraq is a safe, stable and attractive environment for business and investment.”
Laurent Saint-Martin, France’s minister delegate for foreign trade and French nationals abroad, told Rudaw, “We are here to talk about business opportunities between French companies, Iraqi companies, and between our governments.”
He added, “There is momentum for French companies to expand their presence in Iraq.”
Saint-Martin told Rudaw he will visit Baghdad in July, following an earlier visit by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot to Erbil and Baghdad in April, where Barrot discussed strengthening bilateral ties with top Iraqi and Kurdish leaders.
France’s Consul General to Erbil Yann Braem, who also took part in the key forum, emphasized the importance of the event, noting that it brought together more than 300 businesses from France, Iraq, and the Kurdistan Region. He expressed hope that contracts would be signed “in the very near future.”
Braem noted that French foreign affairs officials organized a series of preparatory meetings ahead of the event “to ensure French business leaders understand the opportunities available not only in Iraq but also in the Kurdistan Region.”
He added that the gathering would help participants better grasp “the opportunities, strengths, and challenges of investing and trading with Iraq.”
As of May 2024, French investments in the Kurdistan Region stood at around $3 billion across multiple sectors, according to Braem.
Among the French attendees was Sophie Sidos Vicat, president of the Foreign Trade Advisors of France (CCE), a network supporting the global expansion of French companies.
Vicat told Rudaw that Iraq is of particular interest to her organization, which works to improve healthcare in countries by providing equipment and training local populations.
“We are interested in Iraq because we already work in similar countries where healthcare access is limited,” she said. “There are many opportunities today in Iraq.”
Fabien Fayard, head of French industrial valve manufacturer Tecofi - which specializes in water distribution and management and operates in over 80 countries - said Iraq has been “one of our key targets” for the past decade. He added that the company invests about $10 million annually in the country.
“I think the Iraqi government is really helping us and supporting foreign investment,” Fayard said.
For their part, Kurdish business people also welcomed the forum as a platform to build partnerships and exchange expertise.
Zikri Bashir, head of Kavin Group - active in construction, trade, agriculture, and dairy production in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq since 2011 - told Rudaw that his company is optimistic about working with French firms.
“We’ve had very good meetings with French companies,” he said, adding that he expects new projects to launch soon, including exports of Kurdish food products.
Meanwhile, Zuber Mayi, head of the Kurdistan-France Friendship Association, said his agriculture and animal feed company had adopted cutting-edge French technologies aimed at reducing harmful chemicals in production.
The bond between France and the Kurdish people dates back to the 1980s, when Danielle Mitterrand, then First Lady of France, became a vocal advocate for Kurds oppressed under the regime of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
Mitterand played an instrumental role in the establishment of the no-fly zone over the Kurdistan Region after the 1991 Gulf War, providing protection that enabled Kurds to establish autonomy
She remains affectionately known as the “Mother of the Kurds” and inaugurated the first Kurdish parliament in 1992.
France was also among the first nations to open a consulate in Erbil after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003, and played a critical role in supporting Kurdish and Iraqi forces during the war against the Islamic State (ISIS) that began in 2014.
