President Masoud Barzani on Friday, 6 February 2026, received France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, in Pirmam, according to an official statement.

The meeting was attended by Patrick Durel, the French ambassador to Iraq, and Yann Braem, France’s consul general in Erbil. During the talks, Barrot conveyed special greetings from French President Emmanuel Macron to President Barzani, underscoring the depth of bilateral relations, long-standing friendship, and France’s continued support for the people of Kurdistan. He said his visit aimed to gain firsthand insight into regional political developments and to consult with regional leaders on ways to address ongoing challenges.

Barrot highlighted the joint efforts of Presidents Macron and Barzani to encourage dialogue and reach an agreement in Syria, praising those efforts and expressing appreciation for President Barzani’s role in addressing political and security crises in Iraq and the wider region. He also emphasized the historical ties between France and the Kurdish people and presented President Barzani with a historic letter sent in 1967 by the late Kurdish leader Mullah Mustafa Barzani to then French President Charles de Gaulle, which has been preserved in the archives of the French Foreign Ministry.

President Barzani thanked the French government for the gesture, describing the letter as a valuable historical document and evidence of the deep-rooted relations between the Kurdish and French peoples.

The two sides exchanged views on regional political developments, the situation in Syria, the peace process in Turkey, and the course of the political process in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. President Barzani expressed hope that conflicts and tensions in the Middle East would be resolved through peaceful means to ensure regional stability, and reiterated his support for the peace process in Turkey.

Regarding Western Kurdistan (Rojava), President Barzani said he had made sustained efforts to prevent political disputes from escalating into ethnic conflict between Kurds and Arabs, and to avert any form of ethnic cleansing against Kurds in Syria. He reaffirmed his support for the agreement between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, expressing hope that it would lay the groundwork for stability and reconciliation.

President Barzani also warned of the continued risk of a resurgence of ISIS, stressing the need for effective mechanisms and coordination among all parties to counter terrorist threats.

In closing, President Barzani expressed gratitude to France for its long-standing support for the people of Kurdistan during difficult periods. Barrot, in turn, reaffirmed France’s firm commitment to supporting the Kurdish people’s rights through peaceful means and to backing the security, stability, and strength of the Kurdistan Region.