SULAIMANI (ESTA) — French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in the Kurdistan Region early on Sunday, following his participation in a regional summit in Baghdad.
Macron was welcomed by Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani alongside a delegation including Vice Presidents Sheikh Jaafar Sheikh Mustafa and Mustafa Said Qadir as well as Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani at Erbil airport.
Macron will meet with the Region’s president along with Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and the deputy premier in Erbil on Sunday.
The French president will reiterate France’s support for the Kurdistan Region in the fight against terrorism.
Macron will then travel to Mosul, parts of which were destroyed due to the fight against Islamic State (ISIS) militants.
He will meet students and “influencers”, the news agency said. Macron will also visit religious sites destroyed by ISIS, including the al-Nuri Mosque and the Our Lady of the Hour Church.
Iraq held a regional summit on Saturday aimed at reducing tensions in the Middle East, grouping key regional leaders as well as Macron who vowed his country would stand firm in Iraq.
“Given the geopolitical events, this conference has taken a special turn,” Macron said at the summit convened by Iraq as it seeks to play the role of regional mediator.
Macron said his country would continue to deploy troops in Iraq to battle terrorism even if the U.S. were to withdraw.
“No matter what choices the Americans make, we will maintain our presence in Iraq to fight against terrorism,” Macron told a news conference in Baghdad.
The meeting comes as Iraq, long a casualty of jihadist militancy, also tries to establish itself as a mediator between Arab countries and Iran.
“We all know that we must not lower our guard, because Daesh [the Islamic State] remains a threat, and I know that the fight against these terrorist groups is a priority of your government,” Macron said earlier after a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II flew in for the summit, also attended by the foreign ministers of regional foes Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Kuwait’s Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah and Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also took part.
