President Barzani, French Foreign Minister Discuss Regional Stability and Kurdish-French Ties
Addressing security concerns, President Barzani warned of the potential resurgence of ISIS and stressed the need for effective mechanisms and coordination among relevant parties to counter the threat.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — President Masoud Barzani received French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Friday in the Pirmam district of Erbil, where the two sides discussed regional developments, bilateral ties, and ongoing political challenges in the Middle East.
The meeting was attended by Patrick Durel, France’s Ambassador to Iraq, and Yann Braem, French Consul General in Erbil. During the talks, Minister Barrot conveyed a special message from French President Emmanuel Macron, underscoring the importance France places on its relations with the Kurdistan Region, its friendship with the Kurdish people, and its continued support for their legitimate rights.
Barrot said he was pleased to be visiting the Kurdistan Region and meeting President Barzani, noting that the visit provided an opportunity to closely assess the political situation and consult with regional leaders on ways to address current challenges. He also praised the efforts of President Macron and President Barzani in encouraging dialogue among Syrian parties to reach a political agreement.
Highlighting the depth of historical ties between France and the Kurdish people, the French foreign minister presented a copy of a letter sent by the late Mullah Mustafa Barzani to former French President Charles de Gaulle in 1967, preserved in the archives of the French Foreign Ministry. He described the document as a symbol of the long-standing friendship between the two peoples.
The discussions covered a range of issues, including regional political developments, the situation in Syria, the peace process in Turkey, and political processes in both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
President Barzani expressed hope that the peace process in Turkey would succeed through dialogue, reaffirming his longstanding support for peaceful solutions. On Western Kurdistan, he emphasized his efforts to prevent political disputes from escalating into ethnic conflict between Kurds and Arabs, and to avert any acts of ethnic cleansing against Kurds in Syria. He voiced support for the agreement between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, expressing hope that it would contribute to stability at this stage.
Addressing security concerns, President Barzani warned of the potential resurgence of ISIS and stressed the need for effective mechanisms and coordination among relevant parties to counter the threat.
At the conclusion of the meeting, President Barzani thanked France for its support of the Kurdish people during difficult times. Minister Barrot reaffirmed France’s longstanding commitment to the Kurdish cause in the Middle East, emphasizing Paris’s support for the Kurdish people’s pursuit of their rights through peaceful means.