Thu, Oct 5, 2017
October -5- 2017
At the beginning of the meeting, the French President welcomed the Prime Minister, stressing the great interest in this visit and expressed the common desire of the two countries to develop friendly relations and cooperation. He also congratulated the victories achieved by the Iraqi forces and the success achieved by Iraqis in liberating their country.
The two leaders held a bilateral meeting and then proceeded to preside over the joint expanded governmental meeting, followed by a joint press conference.
Prime Minister Al-Abadi thanked President Macron for the invitation to visit France, stressing Iraq's pride in the level of the bilateral relations and the great opportunities for development in the economic and trade fields, and thanked the French government for the offer of 430 million euros loan to support the Iraqi budget and contribute to financial stability in Iraq.
PM Al-Abadi said Iraq is a success story and we want to preserve the unity and sovereignty of our country, and continue cooperation between our two countries in confronting Daesh and the establishment of security and peace. The Prime Minister announced the liberation of Hawija, congratulating Iraqis and the world on this victory which was achieved with the heroic acts of Iraqis and only the border area with Syria is left to liberate.
PM Al-Abadi declared that the referendum in the Kurdish region is a departure from the Constitution and has been rejected by the Federal Court and the government and parliament, and we must restore the authority of the federal state to the region and all Iraq, with our utmost care for the Kurdish people and respect for the aspirations of all Iraqis, calling on the Peshmerga to fight alongside the Iraqi army to achieve security and stability under the leadership of the federal authority.
"We stand with you in peace, as we have stood with you in the war, and we will continue to support Iraq to win together the war against peace and peace and we will continue our military, security and economic commitment," Macron said, referring to his country's support for Iraq's unity and territorial integrity and building strategic cooperation relations, expressing his country's readiness to provide all that will achieve security and stability for Iraq and its people.
Media Office of the Prime Minister
October -5- 2017
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