On December 8, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani attended the reopening of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris alongside other world leaders.
“I joined President Macron and other leaders this evening in Paris for the reopening ceremony of the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral,” President Barzani posted on X.
“This historic occasion symbolizes the resilience to preserve our shared human heritage,” he added.
I joined President Macron and other leaders this evening in Paris for the reopening ceremony of the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral.
— Nechirvan Barzani (@IKRPresident) December 7, 2024
This historic occasion symbolizes the resilience to preserve our shared human heritage.
I congratulate my friend, President @EmmanuelMacron on this…
He also congratulated France’s President Emmanuel Macron on “this remarkable achievement.”
Kurdistan Region President met with President-Elect Donald Trump and other world leaders during the reopening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
The Kurdistan Region Presidency in a readout said that “President Barzani’s presence alongside other world leaders at this historic event reflects the enduring friendship between the Kurdistan Region and France, as well as its growing influence on the international stage.”
Following the ceremony, President Nechirvan Barzani, together with other global leaders, participated in a dinner hosted by President Macron for the attendees and participants of the event at the Elysee Palace.
#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
France’s Consul General in Erbil Yann Braem also posted on X that His Holiness Mar Awa III, the Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, was also invited to the event.
On April 15, 2019, the ancient Notre Dame de Paris burned down in a devastating fire.
The Kurdistan Regional Government and the government of France have strong historical and political ties.
As President Netchirvan Barzani @IKRPresident, but also His Holiness Mar Awa, are expected to participate to the reopening ceremony of #NotreDameDeParis today, get to know the historic and religious importance of this emblematic French and Parisian monument.@francediplo_EN https://t.co/XOx138Rqz7
— Yann Braem (@YannBraem) December 7, 2024
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For instance, France played a decisive role in pushing the world to react to Saddam Hussein’s persecution of the Kurds in 1991, which eventually led to the creation of a no-fly zone over the Kurdistan Region.
Danielle Mitterrand – wife of former French president Francois Mitterrand – who passed away in 2011, played a key role in advocating for the no-fly zone, and had strong relations with the Kurdish leadership.
Moreover, France was one of the first countries to open a consulate in Erbil in 2008, and supported the Kurdish peshmerga forces in the war against ISIS.
Additionally, after the September 2017 Kurdistan Region independence referendum, French President Macron broke the diplomatic embargo and invited President Barzani to the Elysee Palace in December 2017. In July, President Barzani attended the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games and was received by President Macron.
The Kurdistan Region Presidency added that such links between France and Iraq, particularly the Kurdistan Region, extend beyond diplomatic relations to encompass cultural, scientific, and archeological collaboration, representing another important aspect to their bilateral ties.
