French-Iraqi agreement on strategic partnership
Paris – Agencies: Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Idabi, accompanied by a large official delegation, paid a state visit to the French capital, Paris, yesterday, marking his first European stop since assuming the premiership, with Berlin set to be his second destination before his return to Baghdad. The joint statement issued by the Élysée Palace reflected the broad range of issues addressed by both sides, at the level of President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Ali al-Idabi, as well as at the ministerial level between the two sides and with French companies, including TotalEnergies, which is seeking to expand its presence in Iraq. In an article published by Le Figaro, the Iraqi prime minister stated that his country holds the world’s fourth-largest confirmed oil reserves, estimated at 14.5 billion barrels. Al-Idabi outlined his vision for new relations that he wants his country to build with France, such that “Iraq becomes an active partner, not a country that arrives bearing a list of demands or seeking a political umbrella.” In his view, his visit “gains additional importance given its timing,” but also because it takes place “at a stage characterized by considerable uncertainty in the Middle East, where there is an urgent need for regional, European, and international efforts to contain tensions and restore calm to the region.” According to the joint statement, the overarching purpose of the visit is to “strengthen the strategic partnership and friendship relations between France and Iraq.” The statement comprises twenty paragraphs covering all aspects of the visit, including agreements, declarations of intent, and understandings detailed in a separate statement issued by the French presidency, among them six agreements signed in the presence of Macron and al-Idabi. The security dimension stands out, with both sides reaching a “strategic roadmap for Iraq’s acquisition of French military equipment as part of its efforts to rebuild and modernize its military capabilities.” The two sides also signed a “letter of intent” concerning “air defense systems” between the Iraqi Ministry of Defense and the French company Harmattan AI.
