During a meeting in Erbil on Wednesday, France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot extended an official invitation to President Masoud Barzani to attend the unveiling ceremony of a park in Paris honoring the sacrifices of the Kurdistan peshmerga forces in the fight against ISIS.
According to the readout from the Barzani Headquarters, during the meeting – which was attended by France’s Ambassador to Iraq Patrick Dorrel and France’s Consul General in Erbil Yann Braem – Minister Barrot thanked President Barzani for the welcome and stressed the friendship between the people of Kurdistan and the people of France.
For his part, President Barzani thanked the French people and government for their support of the people of Kurdistan in times of need.
The meeting also discussed the internal situation in the Kurdistan Region and the need to form a new cabinet as soon as possible. An overview was presented of the relations between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad, the upcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections, and the situation in the region and Syria.
Regarding the situation in Syria and the future of the Kurds in the country, emphasis was made on the success of efforts for dialogue, mediation, and unity between the Kurdish parties in Syria. Minister Barrot expressed his appreciation for the role of President Barzani in coordinating efforts and bringing the Kurdish parties in Syria closer together.
On the peace process in Turkiye, President Barzani praised ongoing efforts for a peaceful solution and said that the Kurdistan Region is always ready to support all steps to bring the peace process to a successful conclusion.
France is a close friend and ally of Kurdistan.
— Masrour Barzani (@masrourbarzani) April 23, 2025
I’m pleased to welcome FM @jnbarrot in Erbil to reaffirm our strong partnership and discuss KRG cabinet formation, protecting federalism in Iraq, and the resumption of Kurdistan Region’s oil exports. pic.twitter.com/k3aDPEwfXt
Furthermore, Minister Barrot also met with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.
“I’m pleased to welcome FM @jnbarrot in Erbil to reaffirm our strong partnership and discuss KRG cabinet formation, protecting federalism in Iraq, and the resumption of Kurdistan Region’s oil exports,” Prime Minister Barzani posted on X.
According to the KRG readout, Minister Barrot expressed his pleasure at visiting Erbil and emphasized the strong friendship between the Kurdistan Region and France. “The Kurdistan Region is an important factor of stability and security in the region,” he said.
Prime Minister Barzani reiterated the Kurdistan Region’s appreciation for the continuous support of the French government and people, and stressed the importance of further strengthening bilateral relations across various fields.
In another part of the meeting, both sides agreed on the need to form the new cabinet of the KRG in the near future.
Furthermore, Minister Barrot also held a joint press conference with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, who expressed gratitude to France for standing with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region during difficult times, a reference to the aftermath of the September 2017 Kurdistan Region independence referendum.
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France’s President Emmanuel Macron at that time broke the diplomatic embargo imposed by Baghdad and invited President Nechirvan Barzani to the Elysee Palace in December 2017.
“We highly value the friendship and historic relationship between France, Iraq, and the Kurdistan Region,” President Nechirvan Barzani stated.
“We once again express our deep gratitude and appreciation to France and President Macron for their continued support to Iraq and the Kurdish people, especially during difficult times. We are committed to cooperation and coordination between us to serve peace and development in the region.”
