ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani was received by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday to discuss a host of issues including the situation in Iraq and regional developments.
Upon receiving President Barzani, Macron told Rudaw’s Alla Shally that “so many issues,” including the “overall situation in Iraq plus everything in the region,” will be discussed in their meeting.
Fawzi Hariri, chief of staff to the Kurdistan Region Presidency, said on Monday that Barzani’s visit “demonstrates the strong position of the Kurdistan Region.”
“France views the role of the Kurdistan Region in the Middle East with importance,” Hariri told Rudaw, touching on Barzani’s role as a regional mediator.
On Sunday, Kurdistan Region Presidency spokesperson Dilshad Shahab told Rudaw that Barzani and Macron’s meeting “comes at a time of major developments in the Middle East.”
“This naturally highlights the influence of the Kurdistan Region and the effective role of its president,” Shahab said.
On Friday, Barzani met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa for the first time on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey and offered his “continued support.”
According to Hariri, Sharaa told Barzani in their meeting that “even without an agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces, they [Damascus] support giving rights to Kurds.”
“We asked Sharaa to ensure a genuine Kurdish representation in the preparatory committee for the drafting of the Syrian constitution,” he added.
Sharaa was named interim president in January, a month after leading a coalition of rebel groups that toppled the regime of Bashar al-Assad. He pledged to form an "inclusive transitional government that would reflect Syria's diversity" but has faced criticism for marginalizing minority communities.
In March, Sharaa and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi signed an agreement to integrate the SDF into Syrian state institutions. Barzani described the agreement as "an appropriate roadmap for the future and a correct transitional phase" and expressed Erbil's "full support" for Syria's stability. The deal has since been followed by a hostage exchange and security rearrangements.
Also on Friday, Barzani met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss reviving the peace process between Turkey and the PKK. The meeting came a day after Erdogan received a delegation from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, which has been mediating the talks. The negotiations gained momentum after the PKK announced a unilateral ceasefire more than a month ago and expressed commitment to their imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan’s call for disbanding the group.
Following his meeting with Erdogan, Barzani said he "reiterated the importance of reviving the peace process in Türkiye."
Founded in 1978, the PKK initially demanded an independent Kurdistan but now calls for autonomy. It is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.
“In the negotiations that DEM Party and PKK conduct with Turkey, whether directly or indirectly, the Kurdistan Region and the Kurdistan Region’s president have a direct role in conveying viewpoints,” Hariri said.
Barzani was last in Paris in December to attend the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral.
Ali Dolamari, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) representative to France, on Sunday described Erbil’s relations with Paris as “historical.”
Also on Sunday, French Senator Remi Feraud told Rudaw that the relationship between France and the Kurdistan Region has flourished in recent years.
President Barzani and Macron “have established a relationship of trust,” according to Feraud. “These diplomatic efforts have proven vital, particularly in a region marked by ongoing instability and geopolitical shifts.”
France and the Kurdistan Region enjoy long-standing ties, dating back to France’s support for the no-fly zone that enabled the Region to develop its current autonomy. France was among the first countries to open a consulate in Erbil after the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 and played a crucial role in supporting Kurdish forces in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) in both Iraq and Syria.
