ERBIL (Kurdistan Chronicle) — The Kurdistan Region's Prime Minister, Masrour Barzani, has expressed his willingness to provide "all necessary cooperation and coordination" to encourage further French investment in Kurdistan. 

Barzani made the comments during his visit to Paris, where he met with entrepreneurs, investors, businesspeople, and representatives from several French companies at the Mouvement des Entreprises de France (MEDEF).

The Kurdish prime minister took to Twitter after the meeting to state that he had briefed French business leaders on the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) promise to improve the business climate for national and foreign investors. 

“I’m confident serious bilateral trade will emerge later this year,” PM Barzani wrote. 

According to an official readout, during the MEDEF meeting, the Kurdish leader highlighted the ongoing reforms of his cabinet, aimed at diversifying the economy and revenue sources, building a strong economic infrastructure, digitalizing public services, and providing necessary facilities for domestic and foreign investors.

Accompanied by a KRG delegation, Barzani arrived in France on Wednesday after attending the 2023 World Government Summit in Dubai. 

In Paris, he met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace, as well as the President of the French Senate and the Mayor of Paris, to discuss issues such as bilateral ties, trade, investment, minorities, and the relations between Erbil and Baghdad.

Kurdistan and France have close ties, strengthened further by their partnership in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) since 2014. The latter played a crucial role in raising global awareness of Saddam Hussein's persecution of Kurds in 1991, leading to the creation of a no-fly zone over the Kurdistan Region.