ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani will join dozens of world leaders for the reopening of Paris’ iconic Notre Dame cathedral on Saturday, the head of a Kurdish institute told Rudaw.
“It is a matter of pride that the Kurdistan Region president will be welcomed as the president of a country, which is a good victory for the Kurds,” Kendal Nezan, head of the Kurdish Institute of Paris, told Rudaw.
"It is an important diplomatic achievement, and while it might not have immediate outcomes, in the long term, it will serve the interests of the Kurds, especially when the leaders of various states witness the leadership of the Kurdistan Region participation,” he added.
Dozens of heads of state, including United States President-elect Donald Trump, are expected to join French President Emmanuel Macron for the event.
“This is one of the most historic churches that has significant importance for people. And Emmanuel Macron, immediately after realizing that, asked the experts to start the renovation project,” Azizi Mamle, a political activist from western Iran (Rojhelat), told Rudaw.
The Cathedral of Notre Dame is a pillar of French national identity. The historic building caught fire in 2019. The main steeple and its stained glass windows were destroyed, though the structure of the body of the church survived.
Thousands of craftsmen and engineers worked on the restoration that cost a reported 700 million euros.
Nezan said the event is an opportunity for Barzani to have discussions with key decision-makers about the "situation in the Middle East” and the Kurdish point of view.
France is a long time friend and ally of the Kurdistan Region.
Alla Shaly contributed to this article.
