ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani received a phone call from France’s Emmanuel Macron on Thursday night, discussing a range of topics, including Erbil-Baghdad relations, Iraq’s situation, and developments in Syria, according to the Kurdistan Region Presidency.
“Both sides emphasized the significance of ramping up efforts to protect peace and stability in the region while signaling that ongoing talks between the Kurdistan Region and the central federal government towards resolving outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad are important for Iraq’s stability,” read a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency.
President Nechirvan Barzani thanked President Macron and France’s “friendly” roles for coming to the aid of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region during difficult times.
“The Kurdistan nation will never forget France’s support,” the statement quoted Barzani as saying during the phone call.
Macron reiterated Paris’s support for Iraq and protection of the “constitutional entity of the Kurdistan Region.”
Erbil and Baghdad are grappling with unresolved financial issues, with both sides trading accusations at the other side for the nonpayment of the salaries of Kurdish civil servants, despite numerous meetings.
A top-level delegation headed by Finance Minister Awat Sheikh Janab is in Baghdad. They will hold a decisive meeting on Friday with Iraqi Finance Minister Taif Sami to resolve the financial issues with Baghdad for the year 2025, once and for all.
President Macron and Barzani also discussed ongoing talks between the political parties of the Kurdistan Region for the formation of the tenth cabinet.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), which emerged as the two largest blocs in the Kurdish legislature following the October 20 elections, are poised to form the next cabinet, as the two sides are intensely engaged in talks.
Developments in Syria
Macron and Barzani stressed the need for the protection of Kurdish rights in Syria during the phone call.
In early January, Macron cautioned Western powers over the new government in Syria while also affirming that they will not abandon Kurdish groups, currently fighting off Turkey and its affiliated factions, in northeast Syria.
Turkey immediately blasted Paris for showing support to Syrian Kurds.
"If France had anything to do [in Syria], it should take its own citizens, bring them to its own prisons, and judge them,” Hakan Fidan said on January 10, accusing the French government of ignoring Ankara's security concerns in Syria.
France is an active member of the global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) and maintains troops in northeast Syria’s Kurdish-held areas.
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