During an official visit to France on March 27, Safeen Dizayee, Head of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Department of Foreign Relations, expressed gratitude for France’s continued support of the Kurdistan Region.
Had exchanges with @JLBourlanges, Chairman of @AN_AfEtr commission @AssembleeNat on current developments, unfolding regional events & challenges, plus strong bond of friendship between our two nations. I expressed gratitude for France's continued support to the Kurdistan Region. pic.twitter.com/rRQxbY9Jkb
— Safeen Dizayee (@SafeenDizayee) March 26, 2024
Dizayee and Mohammed Shukri, Chairman of the KRG Board of Investment, are both visiting France as part of an official delegation and also visited the KRG Representation in France and the Embassy of Iraq in Paris.
Dizayee told Kurdistan Chronicle that he is visiting Paris “to meet our friends, brief them on the latest developments, challenges and KRG views on various issues unfolding in Iraq and the region.” He is also expected to visit Rome, Italy, in the near future.
“We emphasized our friendship, support for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), further developments in bilateral ties, and economical and investment opportunities in the Kurdistan Region,” he told Kurdistan Chronicle.
Dizayee had separate meetings with Emmanuel Suquet, Deputy Director for North Africa and the Middle East; Jean-Louis Bourlanges, President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the French National Assembly; Stephen Marchisio, Diplomatic Advisor to the French Prime Minister; and Arnaud Ngatcha, Deputy Mayor of Paris.
Had candid discussions with Stephen Marchisio, Diplomatic Advisor to the French Prime Minister, on the current unfolding events and challenges facing the region. We expressed mutual desire to further deepen our friendship, and I thanked France for their continued support to KRI. pic.twitter.com/Fl2kfkIlWB
— Safeen Dizayee (@SafeenDizayee) March 26, 2024
“Had candid discussions with Stephen Marchisio, Diplomatic Advisor to the French Prime Minister, on the current unfolding events and challenges facing the region,” Dizayee posted on X on March 26. “We expressed mutual desire to further deepen our friendship, and I thanked France for their continued support to KRI.”
Moreover, Dizayee and Shukri met with Souraya Karam, Project Manager at Mouvement des Entreprises de France International (MEDEF International), and Marie-Christine Oghly, Vice Chair of Paris Ile de France Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“We discussed investment-friendly climate in Kurdistan and potential opportunities for expanding our trade and investment ties,” Dizayee wrote on X.
Read More: PM Barzani’s Visit to Paris Bolsters French-Kurdish Ties
KRG Representative to France Ali Dolamari in a post on X said that the meeting with MEDEF International focused on increasing trade between the Kurdistan Region and French companies.
une conférence économique entre MEDEF et la région du Kurdistan d’Irak pour accroître les échanges commerciaux entre la France et la région du Kurdistan
— Ali Dolamari (@ali_dolamari) March 26, 2024
La délégation du gouvernement régional du Kurdistan d’Irak a rencontré le MEDEF international et la chambre de commerce de… pic.twitter.com/iR830Z5oPP
“The KRG delegation encourages French investors to participate in the investment process through the Paris and MEDEF Chambers of Commerce, particularly in the industrial, agricultural and tourism sectors,” he said.
Moreover, he added that they discussed the preparations for an economic and commercial forum between investors and representatives of the Kurdistan Region and France, which is to be held in the coming months in Paris.
Thank you for the invitation to address #Newroz reception at @Senat. It was an honor to be among our French friends, senators, assembly members, mayors, @AmbWadee & Kurdish community.
— Safeen Dizayee (@SafeenDizayee) March 27, 2024
I expressed our gratitude for France's continuous support.
Merci beaucoup for your friendship. pic.twitter.com/jmmzyqOOAJ
In addition, a Newroz reception was held in the French Senate on March 26.
“For the first time, a Newroz reception was held in the French Senate, attended by members from both houses, as well as government officials, the Iraqi ambassador, and members of the Kurdish community,”’ Dizayee told Kurdistan Chronicle.
“It was an honor to be among our French friends, senators, assembly members, mayors, (Iraqi) Ambassador Wadee Al Batti and the Kurdish community,” Dizayee said in a post on X.
Read More: The Kurds Have No Better Friends than France
The Kurdistan Region and France have close ties. In 2008, France became one of the first countries to open a diplomatic mission in Erbil.
Moreover, France has supported the peshmerga forces in the fight against ISIS since 2014. France also 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.
Read More: Kurdistan PM Encourages French Investment During Paris Visit
KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, arrived for an official visit to France on February 15, 2023, and met with French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as the President of the French Senate and the Mayor of Paris, to discuss bilateral ties.
