French President and Iraqi Prime Minister Witness Signing of 6 Memoranda of Understanding at the Élysée Palace

French President Emmanuel Macron and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Asadi presided over the signing of six memoranda of understanding between Iraq and France in various fields and shared economic sectors at the Élysée Palace in the French capital, Paris, yesterday.

President Macron affirmed to the Prime Minister that developing defense and security cooperation with Iraq means continuing the joint fight against terrorism.

In a post on the platform “X” following his meeting with Al-Asadi, Macron stated that “the Iraqi Prime Minister’s choice of France as the first stop on his European tour is an important choice that demonstrates France’s ability to play a balanced role.”

He added that “working for regional stability means defending the interests of the French people,” noting that “securing our energy supplies by working to de-escalate tensions and developing alternative routes for the Strait of Hormuz will ease pressure on fuel prices.”

Macron continued, “Developing our cooperation in defense and security with our partners means continuing our relentless struggle against terrorism together,” emphasizing that “our diplomacy also serves this purpose, by tangibly protecting the purchasing power of the French and ensuring their security.”

For his part, the Iraqi Prime Minister said, “We will not allow our territory to become a launching pad for threats against neighboring countries,” adding, “We seek to prevent any further escalation in the region.”

The Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported that the memoranda of understanding between Iraq and France covered various fields and shared economic sectors, as follows:

- A letter of intent between the Iraqi Ministry of Defense and Hermetan Artificial Intelligence Company regarding strategic cooperation in the field of air defense.

- A letter of intent between the Iraqi Ministry of Defense and the French Ministry of Armed Forces regarding the provision of French military equipment within the framework of reconstruction and the development of Iraq’s defense capabilities.

- A letter of intent for partnership in enhancing opportunities for youth, research, and innovation between the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.

- A letter of intent between the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its French counterpart regarding strengthening partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD).

- A cooperation protocol concerning the supply and sale of gas between the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity and TotalEnergies.

- A letter of intent and cooperation in the field of civil aviation between the Iraqi and French Ministries of Transport.

On the ground, the Asayish (Kurdistan Regional Government Security Directorate) announced yesterday that areas in the Sulaymaniyah Governorate were targeted by a missile attack, with no casualties reported.

In a statement, the directorate said that five missiles targeted areas in Sirwan District and Qara Dag District, noting that no human casualties resulted from the attacks.

The government stated in a report it published that civilian sites, citizens’ properties, and the private sector in the region were subjected to a series of attacks throughout the aforementioned period “under various pretexts that have no basis in fact.”

Reports indicated that the Kurdistan Region ranks first in terms of the volume of human and material losses among countries involved in the military conflict in the region.