Kurdistan President Barzani conveyed his condolences to President Hollande. In a message to the French President, the President said that the people of Kurdistan stand with the French people in solidarity, adding that as victims of terrorism themselves, they send their heartfelt condolences to the French people. 

Paris, France (KRP.org) – Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani met with French President François Hollande in Paris on Tuesday.

In their meeting at the Élysée Palace, President Hollande and President Barzani discussed the ongoing fight against ISIS terrorists and efforts to liberate the city of Mosul.

President Hollande welcomed President Barzani’s visit to Paris and reiterated his country’s support for the Kurdistan Region, in particular the peshmerga forces. He praised the role of the peshmerga in taking the fight to the ISIS terrorists. He said France would continue to provide military, humanitarian and political support to Kurdistan, and that it would also seek to gather support for Kurdistan among other European countries.

President Barzani thanked President Hollande for his continuous support and France’s aerial support for the peshmerga forces. He said President Hollande’s visit to Erbil in September was very important and showed that our people have great friends.

The two also discussed joint preparations underway by the peshmerga and the Iraqi army to liberate the city of Mosul from ISIS terrorists. They also discussed relations between Erbil and Baghdad and the recent meeting between President Barzani and Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi in Munich last week. The underlined the importance of close cooperation between Erbil and Baghdad to address the challenges facing Iraq.

President Barzani also met with French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Monday in Paris to discuss the fight against ISIS and the military needs of the peshmerga forces.

In a message addressed to French President Francois Hollande, Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris today.

“On behalf of myself and the people of Kurdistan, I would like to express my condolences to you, the French people, and the families of the victims of today’s terrorist attack, and I strongly condemn this inhumane and cowardly act,” said the President.

“In this sad day, the people of Kurdistan, who are currently fighting the most barbaric kind of terrorism, stand with the people of France. I am confident that terrorism will be defeated and humanity will prevail.”

Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani welcomed French President François Hollande in Erbil on Friday.

After his arrival in Erbil, President Hollande and President Barzani visited a refugee camp in a district in Erbil, and later held a meeting. President Hollande, the first foreign head of state to visit Erbil, was accopamnbied by Foreign Minister Laurent Fabios and Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

Following their meeting with President Barzani and KRG officials, the two Presidents held a joint press conference.

President Hollande said France would continue to provide humanitarian and military aid to Kurdistan in its fight against ISIS terrorists. He said that as the Kurdistan Region is at the forefront of the fight against ISIS terrorists, a delegation from Kurdistan is invited to attend an international conference, due in Paris next week, designed to coordinate international effort to confront threat posed by ISIS terrorists.

The French President also highly praised the role of the Peshmerga forces in this fight and pledged increased military aid to the Peshmerga forces. 

President Barzani described the visit to Kurdistan by President Hollande as historic and thanked the president and people of France for standing by the people of Kurdistan in their hour of need, saying that France was first EU country to come to the aid of Kurdistan in the fight against ISIS terrorists. He also added that thanks to the support by France and other countries, the Peshmrega forces are now taking the fight to ISIS and have the upper hand. President Barzani vowed that the Kurdistan Region would continue to fight until the ISIS terrorist group is uprooted and destroyed.