Kurdistan
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani (right) in a meeting with France's Ambassador to Iraq Patrick Dorrel in Erbil on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Photo: Kurdistan Region Presidency
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Wednesday stressed the importance of maintaining the two-week ceasefire between the United States, Israel, and Iran during a meeting with France’s Ambassador to Iraq, Patrick Dorrel.
“During the meeting, they exchanged views on the latest regional developments and the consequences of war on security and stability in the Middle East and globally. They also expressed hope for maintaining the ceasefire to end the conflict and achieve lasting peace,” according to a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency.
The United States and Israel in late February launched a large-scale aerial campaign against Iran, striking more than 23,000 targets across the country, according to official figures from Washington and Tel Aviv.
A Pakistan-brokered two-week ceasefire came into effect early last week, aiming to create space for negotiations between Washington and Tehran. While the first round of talks concluded on Sunday without an agreement, reports indicate that a second round could take place later this week.
During the meeting, President Barzani also praised Paris’ role, noting the efforts exerted by French President Emmanuel Macron in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, as well as France’s continued support for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
The two sides further discussed the political process in Iraq and the Region, emphasizing the importance of dialogue and mutual understanding among parties to resolve outstanding issues.
France’s Consul General in Erbil, Jan Brem, also attended the meeting.
France and the Kurdistan Region share longstanding ties, dating back to Paris’ support for the no-fly zone in the 1990s, which helped pave the way for the Region’s autonomy. France was also among the first countries to open a consulate in Erbil following the fall of longtime Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003 and has played a key role in supporting Kurdish forces in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) in both Iraq and Syria.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment