Minister Mustafa welcomed the French delegation and told Ambassador Gauer, “It is important for the diplomats in Baghdad to come here to Kurdistan to see and discuss the developments and I hope to see you visit more often.”

Ambassador Gauer thanked Minister Mustafa for the assistance provided by the KRG Department of Foreign Relations in facilitating his visit and expressed his pleasure at visiting the region again. They discussed the current and future activities the French government is undertaking in Iraq.

Both sides discussed the latest political developments in Iraq and in particular the relationship between Erbil and Baghdad. In addition they discussed the latest on the elections law, highlighting the importance of reaching a consensus as soon as possible, in order to conduct the 2014 Iraqi parliamentary elections on time and without delay.

Regarding relations with Kurdistan, Ambassador Gauer said, ‘We hope to continue to develop our relations with the Kurdistan Region and there are scheduled visits for the near future.’ Minister Mustafa said that we want to see more interaction and cooperation between both sides.

They also discussed Syrian crisis and the current plight of the Syrian refugees in Kurdistan. Minister Mustafa briefed the Ambassador about the latest figures and the impact that the increase in refugees is having on Kurdistan. He concluded by saying, ‘We hope that France as well as the international community increase their aid and humanitarian assistance to these refugees given their urgent needs particularly with winter quickly approaching.’