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French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (left) during a meeting with Masoud Barzani, the President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Oct. 18, 2019. (Photo: Masoud Barzani's webiste)
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian met with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani on Friday to discuss the recent security and political conditions in Iraq and Syria.
The KDP leader received Le Drian at his office in Erbil.
At the start of their meeting, Le Drian conveyed the greetings of French President Emmanuel Macron to Barzani, a statement from the KDP president’s press office read.
“This is the seventh time I visit the Kurdistan Region,” Le Drian was quoted as saying, according to the statement. “I have special feelings toward this region.”
Both sides highlighted the recent developments in the region, especially regarding Turkey’s military offensive in northern Syria, as Barzani “expressed concern about the new situation and the future of the Kurdish people in Syria.”
In another part of the meeting, Barzani extended his thanks and appreciation for France’s continued support for the cause of the people of Kurdistan throughout the years, especially as a critical member of the international coalition against the so-called Islamic State.
Security in the region and the threat of the re-emergence of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria were discussed in another part, the statement said, noting that Le Drian stressed the need for continued cooperation between France and the Kurdistan Region to tackle terrorism.
I had a constructive meeting with @JY_LeDrian today at the Barzani HQ. The Foreign Minister and I discussed the recent events in Syria and spoke of the crucial role of the Kurds in defeating the threat of the terrorists of the Islamic State and how that fact cannot be ignored. pic.twitter.com/QWf6a4kPcr
— Masoud Barzani (@masoud_barzani) October 18, 2019
“Unfortunately, the conditions that have created the appropriate ground for the emergence of ISIS and similar terrorist groups still exist, and the complexity of the current [regional] situation serves this group,” Barzani concluded, according to the statement.
During his visit to the autonomous Kurdistan Region, the French diplomat also met with Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Friday after meeting with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani a day earlier.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany