France will provide €1 million to the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, Macron said.
France and Iraq consider it important to continue the fight against terrorism. This was announced in a joint statement issued on Tuesday by the Elysian Palace following talks between French President Emmanuel Macron and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kazimi on Monday evening in Paris.
“During the exchange of views, the President of the French Republic and the Prime Minister of Iraq stressed the need to continue the fight against terrorism. At the same time, Emmanuelle Macron confirmed France’s desire to continue its active participation in the international coalition’s fight against the Islamic State. He also confirmed his intention to deepen bilateral defense relations with Iraq”, – the statement said.
The French President, as stated in the statement, “welcomed the course pursued by the Iraqi government”. He “expressed support for the measures taken by the Iraqi Prime Minister to bring an end to the unacceptable attacks that have been directed against diplomatic missions in Iraq in recent weeks.
Macron told the Iraqi Prime Minister that in 2020 France will resume its contribution to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) programme, whose activities “greatly contribute to the return of civilians to their former places of residence. France will also contribute €1 million to the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), which is helping Iraq organize early parliamentary elections, Macron said.
“During the negotiations the parties confirmed the existence of close friendly relations between the two countries”, – said the Elysee Palace. The leaders of the two countries expressed satisfaction with the conclusion of contacts with French corporations for the construction of the metro in Baghdad and improvement of electricity networks in Iraq.
According to the Elysian Palace, Mustafa al-Kazimi “condemned the murder of teacher Samuel Pati and expressed solidarity with France in the fight against terrorism.