French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday and attended a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart, Barham Salih.
“We welcome the presence of President Macron in Baghdad. This meeting emphasizes the significance of the relations between the two countries and we hope to develop bilateral ties. I held talks with the French President on the situation in Iraq and the region. Iraq hopes to play a key role in the region. We do not want our country to be the scene of conflict,” Iraqi President noted.
“We conferred on many common issues in order to serve our countries and the region. Overcoming terrorism requires the support of friends and the international community. I discussed the implementation of the joint agreements between Iraq and France with the French President and further appreciated the role of Paris in the fight against terrorism,” he added.
Macron also maintained that France supports the Iraqi nation and government as Iraq is facing economic and security challenges and the war with ISIL is not over yet.
He went on to say that foreign interference leads to the weakening of the Iraqi government, adding that it is in the interest of the international community to support Iraq.
As the French President claims to support the Iraqi sovereignty and proposes plans to overcome the current challenges in the country, protesters in France such as the Yellow vests still continue their opposition to Macron’s economic and social policies.
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