The France-Kurdistan Economic Forum was held for the second time in Paris on Monday, with the goal to stimulate economic and commercial cooperation between France and the Kurdistan Region. The first forum was held in 2011.
The forum was officially opened by MEDEF International CEO Philippe Gautier and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Department of Foreign Relations Head Safeen Dizayee.
Delighted to have opened the 1st France - Kurdistan business forum at @medef alongside several ministers from the Kurdistan Regional Government, our Consul General in Erbil @YannBraem, Philippe Gautier, CEO @MEDEF_I and in the presence of many CEOs of French & Kurdish companies.… pic.twitter.com/z2oB6ApKqk
— Ludovic Pouille (@ludovic_pouille) September 23, 2024
“The engagements between business leaders in Paris and representatives from Kurdistan were highly productive,” Dizayee posted on X.
During the conference, Kurdish and French businesses explored investment opportunities in agriculture and infrastructure, expanding valuable networks and laying the groundwork for future partnerships.
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During the conference, Dizayee outlined the KRG’s strategic agenda to diversify the Kurdistan Region’s economy and attract direct foreign investments with an open-door policy, highlighting the long-standing ties between France and the Kurdistan Region.
The engagements between business leaders in Paris & representatives from Kurdistan were highly productive.
— Safeen Dizayee (@SafeenDizayee) September 23, 2024
Exploring investment opportunities in agriculture & infrastructure, expanding valuable networking & laying the groundwork for future partnerships.#EconomicForumFranceKRI pic.twitter.com/aZZKQ6tKfr
Moreover, Gautier underlined that this “forum today paves the way for deeper connections between France and Kurdistan.”
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“For us it’s extremely important that there should be direct contact, giving us a chance to get to know each other and ensuring that the opportunities that are present in Kurdistan can be seized by French companies,” France’s Consul General in Erbil Yann Braem earlier told Invest Kurdistan, which is managed by the foreign direct investment unit of the KRG Board of Investment.
France and the Kurdistan Region have strong ties. In 2008, France was among the first to open a diplomatic mission in Erbil. Since 2014, it has supported the peshmerga in the fight against ISIS and played a key role in the creation of the 1991 no-fly zone over Kurdistan.
Today in #Paris the #France-#Kurdistan economic forum kickstarts at the @MEDEF_I with CEO Philippe Gautier.
— Yann Braem (@YannBraem) September 23, 2024
Keynote speakers call for strenghtening economic relations.@ludovic_pouille : "This forum is a call for action"@SafeenDizayee"We are open for business" pic.twitter.com/pd7Zdu1nn2
