ERBIL () - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani received Ambassador Emmanuel Mignot, the new French Consul General in the Kurdistan Region, on Sunday, September 20, 2026, welcoming him to his post and expressing the Kurdistan Region's full readiness to support the success of his mission.
During the meeting, President Nechirvan Barzani congratulated the new Consul General on assuming his duties and reaffirmed the Kurdistan Region's complete readiness and willingness across all its institutions to facilitate his work. He also reiterated the Kurdistan Region's appreciation and gratitude for the historic friendly relationship and France's continued support for the Kurdish people.
For his part, the new French Consul General expressed his pleasure at taking up his post in the Kurdistan Region and emphasized his country's commitment and desire to strengthen the longstanding relations with the Kurdistan Region and expand the level of joint cooperation across various fields.
Relations between Erbil and Baghdad and the general situation in Iraq and the broader region formed a second major theme of the meeting.
France has been one of the Kurdistan Region's most consistent and long-standing European partners, having provided military training and equipment to Peshmerga forces during the fight against ISIS, maintained a cultural and diplomatic presence in Erbil through the French Institute, and supported the Kurdistan Region's international engagement through sustained bilateral diplomatic channels. The arrival of a new Consul General and President Nechirvan Barzani's personal reception of him on his first day reflects the depth and institutional character of the Kurdistan Region-France relationship.
