WATCH: France President arrives in Kurdistan, visits Peshmerga front line
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – French President Francois Hollande on Monday arrived in Erbil to meet President Masoud Barzani and visit French and Peshmerga forces in the Region.
Hollande, accompanied by the Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, is expected to meet Kurdish officials and then visit French and Peshmerga troops in Erbil, according to the French Consulate General in Erbil.
The President of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani received Hollande and his accompanied delegate.
Other senior Kurdish officials were also present including Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) Chancellor Masrour Barzani.
Hollande and his delegates received a warm welcome in Erbil where they were greeted by the children of fallen Peshmerga soldiers, including Hujam Surchi’s son, the Peshmerga who was beheaded by the Islamic State (IS) in 2014.
Additionally, the French national flag along with the Kurdistan flag was displayed in many streets of Erbil before the top French delegates arrived.
It was the French President’s second visit to the Kurdistan Region after his first trip on Sep. 13, 2014, when IS was less than 50 kilometers (31 miles) away from Erbil.
Moreover, Hollande, accompanied by Defense Minister Le Drian and President Barzani, visited a Peshemerga front line.
On Monday, Hollande visited Baghdad and met French military advisers and troops who have trained over 6,000 Iraqi soldiers in the battle against the extremist group since the beginning of 2015.
Before flying to Erbil, he met with the President of Iraq Fuad Masoum and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.
While the French President was meeting Iraqi officials in Baghdad, three explosions hit the city, killing and injuring many people.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany