During the meeting, the French leader “expressed his delight with the formation of the new KRG cabinet and wished the new government success,” Barzani told Kurdistan 24.
“Macron also said that he would visit the Kurdistan Region,” he added.
Regarding what else they covered in the meeting, Barzani said the two leaders discussed bilateral ties between Erbil and Paris and that he had thanked France for its support for the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga forces in the ongoing fight against the so-called Islamic State.
“I also thanked Macron for his help in mending ties with Baghdad,” Barzani told reporters. “He played a significant role in moderating a dialogue between the KRG and the Iraqi government.”
Ties between Erbil and Baghdad deteriorated in the aftermath of the Kurdistan Region’s historic independence referendum where nearly 93 percent of voters called for independence.
Baghdad rejected the results of the ballot and responded with a set of punitive measures including a flight ban and the use of military force to regain control of disputed areas which the Peshmerga had advanced to protect from the Islamic State.
“After the referendum, Macron played a significant role in ensuring the Kurdistan Region remained an important factor in the region,” Barzani told reporters.
The Kurdish president’s official website is expected to soon release a statement about the meeting.
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