Senior KRG Peshmerga delegation arrives in Paris

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A top delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs on Wednesday met with French military officials and participated in the Arc de Triomphe ceremony in Paris.

The KRG delegation includes Abdulkhaliq Bapiri, the Peshmerga Deputy Minister, and a number of Peshmerga commanders.

The KRG delegation laid a wreath at the Unknown Soldier's tomb in Paris.

The main purpose of the visit is to strengthen military relations between both sides.

The visit was organized by the KRG representative in France, with the assistance of the Interallied Federation of War Veterans Organizations (FIDAC).

The Kurdistan Region and France enjoy close diplomatic and economic ties. French and Kurdish leaders regularly reiterate the historical bonds between the two nations.

The foundation stone for a Franco-German cultural center had recently been laid at Erbil’s Citadel. Kurdish and French capitals are also sister cities.

In August 2021, French President Emmanuel Macron visited the Kurdistan Region’s capital, Erbil, where he was warmly received and welcomed by senior government leaders and officials. 

France deploys nearly 800 soldiers to Iraq as part of the US-led international coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Some of them are training Peshmerga forces in the Kurdistan Region.