PM Barzani receives France’s Hollande in Erbil
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Nechirvan Barzani, prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), met with France’s former president Francois Hollande in Erbil on Tuesday.
Joined by Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, Hollande briefed them on his visit to the Kurdistan Region and Mosul and his participation in the Shifa Gardi International Award ceremony, which took place on Monday night in Erbil.
In the meeting, he thanked the Kurdistan Region and Peshmerga forces who fought against ISIS and protected large numbers of displaced people, according to a readout from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
He voiced the significance of enhanced coordination between the international community and the Kurdistan Region and for the provision of vital services to the war damaged areas.
For his part, PM Barzani hailed Hollande’s “friendly attitude” toward the Kurdistan Region over the recent “difficult” period.
He also commended France’s efforts to help lift the diplomatic and economic embargo imposed on the Kurdistan Region by the Iraqi government and neighboring countries following the September 2017 independence referendum.
Hollande was briefed on developments in relations between Erbil and Baghdad. PM Barzani emphasized Erbil’s support for the government of Adil Abdul-Mahdi in Baghdad.
He told the former French premier that joint coordination between Iraqi and Peshmerga forces is necessary to prevent an ISIS resurgence.