ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani stressed on Friday the need for France’s continued support in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) group.
At a press conference with French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Erbil on Friday, Barzani thanked France and its President, Emmanuel Macron, for the unwavering support they have provided the Kurdistan Region, especially during the war against ISIS, and tense moments between the governments in Erbil and Baghdad.
“We thank France and its President Macron, who had a great role in normalizing the tensions in the region and between Baghdad and Erbil,” Barzani said. “France was a great partner in fighting ISIS alongside the anti-ISIS coalition.”
“We still need France’s support and coalition to fight against ISIS,” Barzani added.
France forms part of the US-led Global Coalition against ISIS, an 82-country alliance established as ISIS swept through Syria and Iraq in 2014. The coalition has primarily provided air support to Iraqi operations, as well as training and advisory support to Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces.
Barzani also articulated the “readiness” of the Kurdistan Region to host French companies willing to invest in various sectors.
France and the Kurdistan Region have long ties which date back to late French President Francois Mitterrand encouraging the UN Security Council to establish the No-Fly Zone to protect Kurdish areas against the former Baath regime in the 1990s.
Drian expressed his gratitude for yet another opportunity to visit the Kurdistan region as a top French diplomat.
“I’m happy that this is my 8th visit to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq,” the foreign minister said. “As I have been here for four times as France’s defense minister, and four times as the foreign minister.”
Drian confirmed that Paris will send medical support to the Kurdistan Region in the coming days to help the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
“France supports and stands by the Kurdistan region and Iraq to stay away from the regional tensions and conflicts,” he added.
The French foreign minister emphasized the important role the Kurdistan Region has played in hosting refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) that fled conflicts across the Middle East. Barzani also thanked France for the support it has given to the Region to aid the displaced.
The Kurdistan Region has been carrying the burden of supporting more than a million Iraqi IDPs and around a quarter of a million Syrian refugees since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011 and ISIS insurgency in 2014, despite crippling financial problems, including the COVID-19 economic crisis.
Drian noted during the press conference that France has implemented many projects in the Kurdistan Region for refugees and displaced people, and will continue to do so.
At the end, the FM announced several projects that Paris is aiming to implement in the Region.
“France will provide $15 million for Duhok water system projects,” Drian said.
“France will also provide help and financial support for a Halabja hospital.”
Drian landed in Baghdad on Thursday and met with several Iraqi officials, including President Barham Salih, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, and Iraqi foreign minister Fuad Hussein.
Drian's main aim in his visit to Baghdad was to discuss bilateral relations, and present a set of investment offers to the Iraqi government from French companies to help Iraq face the economic crisis, including the Kurdistan region, according to Ahmad al-Sahaf, Iraq’s foreign minister spokesperson.
After Baghdad, Drian landed in Erbil late Thursday in which he was received by deputy prime minister of KRG, Qubad Talabani.
Drian is planning to meet with other Kurdish officials later on Friday.
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