ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – President Masoud Barzani on Friday met with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot during an official visit to Paris, where he attended the opening ceremony of the Peshmerga pathway in a park in the heart of the French capital.

Barzani arrived in France upon an official visit on Thursday to attend the inauguration of the Peshmerga alley in the City of Light's Andre Citroen Park. The former Kurdistan Region President then left for the French foreign ministry headquarters, where he was received by Barrot ahead of a meeting between the pair.

“There will now be a Peshmerga pathway in Paris: France's eternal recognition of its Kurdish brothers-in-arms in the fight against Daesh [ISIS]. With Masoud Barzani, their historic leader, we have discussed strengthening the ties between France, Iraq, and Kurdistan for the benefit of stability in the region,” said the French top diplomat in an X post after the meeting.

The New Region’s Paris correspondent said that the pair emphasized strengthening bilateral ties between the two sides while touching on the importance of confronting the Islamic State’s (ISIS) extremist ideology and the threat of the reemergence of the extremist group.

The meeting addressed "the historical relations and bonds of friendship between the people of Kurdistan and France," according to a statement by Barzani Headquarters, adding that an upcoming visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region scheduled for later this year was also discussed.

The pair also stressed the importance of adhering to the constitution to resolve the outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad, and underscored "terrorist threats and the need for coordination and cooperation between the parties to confront terrorism," the Barzani Headquarters statement noted.

In April, Barzani met with the French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot in Erbil, where he was invited to visit Paris for the unveiling ceremony of an alley dedicated to the “sacrifices of the Kurdistan Peshmerga forces in the fight against terrorists in a park in Paris,” according to a KDP official statement.

“France and the French people are in the hearts of the Kurdish people. Long live Paris, long live Erbil, long live the friendship between the Kurdish people and the French people,” said President Barzani during the Peshmerga alley’s unveiling event.

The Paris municipality in a statement described the Peshmerga as “a symbol of the entire Kurdish people's struggle for their rights and autonomy.”

Named 'L'Alee des Peshmergas' in French, the pathway is nestled in Paris' 15th arrondissement, with the municipality statement saying that “the Peshmerga is now on the Parisian map, with an exceptional view of the Seine.”

France and the Kurdistan Region share long-standing relations, with the French strongly advocating for the establishment of a no-fly zone over the Kurdistan Region in 1991, which ultimately led to the development of the Region’s current autonomy. Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani paid an official visit to Paris in April, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace.

Updated at 20:35 with Barzani Headquarters statement