SULAIMANI (ESTA) — France will remain a “key partner” for Iraq, French president Emmanuel Macron said in a letter to his Iraqi counterpart Barham Salih, according to the Iraqi presidency.
French ambassador to Iraq Eric Chevallier conveyed a letter from Macron to the Iraqi president on Wednesday, Salih’s office said in a statement.
In the letter, Macron welcomed Iraq’s efforts to support security and stability in the region, the statement read.
The French president stressed that France “will remain a key partner for Iraq through joint economic and political coordination”, the Iraqi presidency said.
Salih, for his part, said during the meeting that Iraq’s policy was based on supporting security and stability.
On Sept. 15, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi also received a letter from Macron. But the content of the letter wasn’t revealed to the public.
Macron paid a visit to Iraq last month to participate in a regional summit hosted by the Iraqi government.
The French president, who described the summit as “historic”, said Iraq’s stability “is essential” and that the two countries “are key partners in the war against terrorism”.
It was the second visit by Macron to Iraq, following his first one in September 2020. He became the first head of state to visit Iraq since Kadhimi formed a new government in May.
