President Barzani highlights long friendship in meeting with French FM

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani thanked France for its friendship in a meeting in Munich on Saturday with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.

Barzani relayed “the appreciation” of the people of the Kurdistan Region for “France's ongoing friendship and support,” particularly “in the fight against terrorism and enhancing stability,” according to a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency.

The two discussed ways to “deepen cooperation in the economic, political, and security fields,” between Iraq and the Kurdistan Region with France, read the statement.

The Kurdistan Region considers France a good friend after decades of close ties and strong support.

Barrot reiterated France’s “keenness on boosting cooperation with the Kurdistan Region,” and highlighted Erbil’s role in “maintaining the stability of Iraq and the region,” the Kurdish statement said.

Recent developments in Syria, particularly the situation of Kurds there, and the overall situation in the Middle East, were also key topics of the meeting.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday urged the new Syrian leadership to ensure that the future government "is representative and respectful of all" amid concerns from Kurds that they are being excluded from discussions about Syria’s future.

Macron also called on Damascus to “fully integrate” the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into its security apparatus. The SDF, the de facto army of the Kurdish-held northeast Syria (Rojava), has been the main ally of the global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) on the ground in Syria.

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