Parly pledged France’s continued support in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS). "Our cooperation is solid and our common will to defeat Daesh does not weaken," she said in a tweet.
The minister arrived in Baghdad earlier in the day and met Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
"France is a partner of Iraq in the war against terrorism," a statement from Kadhimi’s office quoted the prime minister as saying during their meeting. "The Iraqi government is keen to develop this partnership with France to help… enhance the security capabilities of the Iraqi armed forces… and enhance the exchange of security intelligence."
In a press conference with Iraq’s Defence Minister Juma Inad, Parly said France was ready to resume training of Iraqi forces as soon as possible. The training program was put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.
They two also discussed boosting Iraq's surveillance methods, "by land and in its airspace," to put pressure on ISIS sleeper cells still operating in disputed and desert areas, Parly said. France is part of the global coalition against ISIS.
"We are convinced that the fight against (ISIS) is not over," she said, according to AFP. "We are by your side."
In her meeting with the president, Salih raised the issue of Turkey’s military offensive against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) within Iraq’s borders. He “emphasized the importance of the cessation of Turkish military incursions into Iraqi soil,” read a statement from his office. According to the Iraqi statement, Parly said France fully supports the “stability, security and sovereignty of Iraq” and offered training and equipment to the Iraqi security forces.
This is the second visit of a French minister to Iraq this summer. Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was in Baghdad and Erbil last month.
After her meetings in Baghdad, Parly traveled to Erbil where she met with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani.
In a joint press conference, Barzani said that the French minister’s visit comes at a “sensitive time as Iraq and the Kurdistan Region still need the support of the Global Coalition against Daesh. We also need the political and economic support as well.”
The purpose of her trip to Iraq and Kurdistan Region is to “express our support as they are experiencing many big challenges in terms of health and others,” said Parly.
Later on Thursday, Parly met with Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani who thanked her for France's help in the war against ISIS and training the Peshmerga. Barzani tweeted he looks forward "to expanding our economic ties in the future."
I met @florence_parly today to thank France for its steadfast support of the Kurdistan Region, especially during the ongoing war against ISIS. We value French assistance in training the Peshmerga, and look forward to expanding our economic ties in the future. pic.twitter.com/pueGAl5tUp
— Masrour Barzani پابەندین# (@masrour_barzani) August 27, 2020
France and the Kurdistan Region have a close relationship, dating back to late French President Francois Mitterrand who encouraged the UN Security Council to establish the no-fly zone to protect Kurdish areas against the former Baath regime in the 1990s.
Updated at 11:21 pm
Additional reporting by Karwan Faidhi Dri
