“We are very much in favor of the formation of a new government. We have been supporting very strongly, very firmly, the conduct of the elections ... and we believe that a new cabinet with a very ambitious reform agenda will directly contribute to the economic growth and to the economic development of the region,” Yann Braem told Rudaw in Sulaimani.
“That's precisely what the French business people would like to see: a very strong Kurdistan with an ambitious reform agenda. In the past, France was in many sectors helping Kurdistan,” he added.
The Kurdistan Region held delayed parliamentary elections in October, with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) emerging as the leading party, securing 39 seats in the 100-member legislature. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) followed with 23 seats. As no single party won a majority, a governing coalition will need to be formed - as has traditionally been the case.
Kurdish and global leaders have urged a swift formation of the tenth cabinet.
According to Braem, the French diplomatic mission is helping French businesses with contacts and getting established in the Region.
“We have many companies present here. I know we have in Chamchamal several French companies. In Erbil, we have Carrefour as well, all over Kurdistan,” he said.
Braem further touched on the cooperation between Paris and Erbil in various industries. He said they are “continuing and increasing” the contribution to the culture and education sectors, and an “important Kurdish delegation” will head to Paris for a business forum on Monday.
“We have two French schools here, the French school of Sulaimani and the French school of Erbil. They are following the same curriculum as in France. So when you get out of these schools, you have a baccalaureate, which is the same as in France. So the pupils can become students, even in France, if they want to. And you know, universities in France are very high-level, high-quality standards, and they are very cheap, so it makes them very attractive,” he explained.
France and the Kurdistan Region enjoy long-standing ties, dating back to France’s support for the post-Gulf War no-fly zone that enabled the Region’s current autonomy. France was also among the first countries to open a consulate in Erbil after the fall of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003 and strongly supported Kurdish Peshmerga forces in the fight against ISIS.
