President Nechirvan Barzani received the French Ambassador to Iraq, Mr. Éric Chevalier in Erbil on July 19.
The meeting focused on the latest security and political developments in Iraq and the ongoing efforts to elect the president and to form the next Iraqi government. Erbil-Baghdad relations, confronting the existing threats of ISIS, especially in contested areas of the Article 140 of the Constitution, the status of Shingal district, the developments in the Kurdistan Region and the upcoming elections were highlighted.
The Ambassador stressed that his country attaches importance to its relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region and discussed ways to expand bilateral relations, referring to peace and stability in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region as crucial to maintaining stability in the wider region.
For his part, President Nechirvan Barzani emphasized that the solution of the problems between Erbil and Baghdad is the key to peace and stability in Iraq, and reiterated that finding a mechanism to hold talks and resolving the outstanding issues are important.
Both sides agreed on the need to continue cooperation and coordination between the Peshmerga and the Iraqi army with the support from the international coalition forces to counter the threats of ISIS, especially in the areas of Article 140 of the Constitution.
The situation in the wider region and efforts to stabilize the global energy market and the status and importance of the Middle East in this context were underlined. The relations of the Kurdistan Region with the countries of the region, as well as other issues of common concern were highlighted at the meeting, which was also attended by the French Consul General in the Kurdistan Region, Mr. Olivier Decottignies.