During his visit to Paris on Wednesday, September 25, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Department of Foreign Relations Head Safeen Dizayee met with several French officials.

Catherine Dumas, Paris Councillor and Vice President of the Committee of the Senate on Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Armed Forces, met Dizayee in the French Senate.

“In the name of Cédric Perrin, President of the Senate Defense Committee, I welcomed this afternoon at the Senate the Minister Safeen Dizayee, Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Kurdistan Regional Government,” Dumas posted on X.

“Human rights, the development of democracy, economic cooperation, and the fight against Daesh (ISIS) were the main topics of our discussions.”

Dizayee also met with Deputy Mayor of Paris Arnaud Ngatcha and discussed regional dynamics, the Kurdistan Region’s upcoming parliamentary elections, and ways to enhance cooperation between the KRG and France.

“I also congratulated Paris for hosting a successful Olympic Games, uniting nations through sports,” Dizayee posted on X.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani attended the official opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in July.

Deputy Mayor Ngatcha underlined that it is “always a pleasure to welcome Safeen Dizayee, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kurdistan-Iraq and a friend of Paris.”

“Staying true to the friendship that unites Paris and Erbil, we discussed our cooperation, as well as the international situation.”

Dizayee also met with France’s Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs David Bertolotti.

“We engaged in fruitful discussions on the evolving dynamics across the wider Middle East, covering regional developments and challenges,” Dizayee posted on X.