Barzani joined dozens of heads of state, including French President Emmanuel Macron, to take part in the reopening ceremony of the Notre Dame Cathedral, congratulating Macron for the restoration which cost a reported 700 million euros.
After the ceremony, Barzani attended a dinner hosted by Macron for the guests of the ceremony at the Elysee Palace.
Along with Trump and Musk, who is the former’s nominee to lead the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Barzani met with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, as well as Macron himself.
#Kurdistan @IKRPresident Nechirvan Barzani met with President-Elect Donald Trump during the reopening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. pic.twitter.com/Kg1eo6zxLd
— Kurdistan Region Presidency (@KurdistanRegion) December 8, 2024
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.
France is a longtime friend and ally of the Kurdistan Region.
