In 1982, First Lady Danielle Mitterrand played an active role in the formation of the Kurdish Institute of Paris by making public awareness around it.[4] In 1989, she organized that 1,000 Kurdish refugees would be taken in by France with consent from the President and the government.[7] She also visited Kurdistan Region in 1991, visiting refugees at the Iran-Iraq border,[8] and again in July 1992 to witness the establishment of the Kurdistan Region Parliament.[4] In 2011, Jonathan Randal wrote that: "In France, Danielle Mitterrand, the former President’s wife and vociferous defender of the Kurds and other downtrodden minorities, needed no encouragement to bring their plight to her husband’s attention. When in late March 1991 the Iraqi counteroffensive gathered steam, she alerted specialists inside and outside the government to prepare contingency plans. She had been sensitized to the Kurds by, among others, Bernard Dorin, a diplomat who abruptly gave up his career to work for the Kurds without knowing much about them."[9]
Chirac (1995–2012)edit
In an interview with L'essentiel in 2012, Kurdish President Massoud Barzani stated that Kurdistan Region had no direct relations with President Chirac, but had contacts to several ministers including Minister of the Interior Nicolas Sarkozy.[10]
Under the presidency of Sarkozy, a French embassy office was opened in Erbil with the presence of French Foreign Minister Kouschner.[11] In 2010, Kouschner described Sarkozy's approachment to the Kurds as being a revitalizing of their relations.[12] In the same year, Massoud Barzani met with President Nicolas Sarkozy and Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner in Paris,[13] where they signed a protocol strengthening ties in various fields, including trade, education and culture. Sarkozy commented at the relations and stated that: "France is happy with its friendship with Kurdistan and attaches great importance to this friendship."[14]
In August 2014, France sent soldiers to Kurdistan Region to train Kurdish soldiers (Peshmerga). In January 2015, 40 more soldiers were sent to the region.[22] In August 2014, France also supplied Kurdish soldiers with an undisclosed amount of weapons and 20 tons of humanitarian aid.[23] In early February 2015, a Kurdish military delegation led by Minister of Peshmerga Sayid Qadir met with Hollande to discuss military cooperation.[24] French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian made an unannounced visit to Erbil in April 2016, where he stated that: "I also came here to meet with the Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani and Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani to reiterate the support of France to Peshmerga forces in the fight against Da’esh,” and furthermore that: “The Peshmerga plays an important role in this fight."[25] In June 2016, two shipments of military aid reached Kurdistan Region consisting of MM89 rockets, thousands of different types of ammunition, defense and attacking grenades and night-vision goggles.[26]
^While Kurdistan Region refers to the autonomous Kurdish region in Northern Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan is a geographical term referring to the Kurdish area of Iraq
^"Consulat Général de France à Erbil" (in French). Retrieved 17 August 2017.
^. Archived from the original on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
^ abc"The Kurdish mother Danielle Mitterrand was a mountain to Kurds". Rudaw. 13 March 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
^"IED Drone Kills Kurdish Soldiers, French Commandos". Popular Science. 11 October 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
^"'France and Kurdistan Region have historic relations'". Kurdistan24. 3 January 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
^Michel Joly (2014). "Danielle Mitterrand et les Kurdes : le rêve d'une Première dame". Hommes et migrations (in French). 1307: 134–135. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
^"Danielle Mitterrand dies; ex-first lady of France". Newsday. 23 November 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
^"Danielle Mitterrand, long-term friend of the Kurds, has died". The Kurdistan Tribune. 23 November 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
^"Interview with President Masoud Barzani". Kurdistan Regional Government. 27 September 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
^"Minister Kouchner opens French Embassy Office in Erbil". Kurdistan Regional Government. 1 June 2008. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
^"Iraqi Kurdistan – President Barzani/France – French support". French embassy in the United States. 6 June 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
^"Sarkozy, Paris'te Barzani ile görüştü" (in Turkish). Hürrïyet. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
^"President Barzani meets President Sarkozy, signs protocol with French Government". 17 June 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
^"President Barzani Meets French President Hollande in Paris". Kurdistan Region Presidency. 23 May 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
^"Massoud Barzani à Paris pour plaider la cause de Kurdes". La Croix. 10 February 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
^"President Barzani arrives in France". Kurdistan24. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
^"French President to visit Iraq, Kurdistan Region". Kurdistan24. 1 January 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
^"Hollande Pledges Continued Military Support for Kurds". Rudaw. 12 September 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
^"Barzani met with variety of world leaders in Munich". NRT. 12 February 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
^"Peshmerga to receive weapons from France". Kurdistan24. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
^"France Is Sending More Troops to Help Iraq Fight the Islamic State". Vice News. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
^"France to send arms to Iraqi Kurds". Aljazeera. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
^"Kurdish Peshmerga minister lobbies France for advanced weapons". Rudaw. 4 February 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
^"Peshmerga to receive weapons from France". Kurdistan24. 13 April 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
^"France sends new military aid shipments to Kurdistan". Kurdistan24. 15 June 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
Further readingedit
"Entretien de Bernard Kouchner sur les relations de la France avec l'Irak et de la Région du Kurdistan". 11 June 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
france, kurdistan, region, relations, bilateral, relations, between, france, kurdistan, region, france, consulate, general, erbil, kurdistan, region, representation, paris, ties, between, france, kurdistan, region, have, been, very, close, since, presidency, f. France Kurdistan Region relations are bilateral relations between France and Kurdistan Region 1 France has a consulate general in Erbil 2 and Kurdistan Region has a representation in Paris 3 The ties between France and Kurdistan Region have been very close since the presidency of Francois Mitterrand 1981 1995 when his wife Danielle Mitterrand played an instrumental role in the campaign for the no fly zone over Kurdistan Region in 1991 4 France has a military presence in Kurdistan Region 5 and Consul General Dominique Mas described their relations as being historic and long term 6 France Kurdistan Region relationsFrance Kurdistan Region Contents 1 History 1 1 Mitterrand 1981 1995 1 2 Chirac 1995 2012 1 3 Sarkozy 2007 2012 1 4 Hollande 2012 2017 1 4 1 Military aid 2 See also 3 References 4 Further readingHistory editMitterrand 1981 1995 edit In 1982 First Lady Danielle Mitterrand played an active role in the formation of the Kurdish Institute of Paris by making public awareness around it 4 In 1989 she organized that 1 000 Kurdish refugees would be taken in by France with consent from the President and the government 7 She also visited Kurdistan Region in 1991 visiting refugees at the Iran Iraq border 8 and again in July 1992 to witness the establishment of the Kurdistan Region Parliament 4 In 2011 Jonathan Randal wrote that In France Danielle Mitterrand the former President s wife and vociferous defender of the Kurds and other downtrodden minorities needed no encouragement to bring their plight to her husband s attention When in late March 1991 the Iraqi counteroffensive gathered steam she alerted specialists inside and outside the government to prepare contingency plans She had been sensitized to the Kurds by among others Bernard Dorin a diplomat who abruptly gave up his career to work for the Kurds without knowing much about them 9 Chirac 1995 2012 edit In an interview with L essentiel in 2012 Kurdish President Massoud Barzani stated that Kurdistan Region had no direct relations with President Chirac but had contacts to several ministers including Minister of the Interior Nicolas Sarkozy 10 nbsp Banner welcoming President Emmanuel Macron on the Erbil Citadel for his visit in August 2021 Sarkozy 2007 2012 edit Under the presidency of Sarkozy a French embassy office was opened in Erbil with the presence of French Foreign Minister Kouschner 11 In 2010 Kouschner described Sarkozy s approachment to the Kurds as being a revitalizing of their relations 12 In the same year Massoud Barzani met with President Nicolas Sarkozy and Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner in Paris 13 where they signed a protocol strengthening ties in various fields including trade education and culture Sarkozy commented at the relations and stated that France is happy with its friendship with Kurdistan and attaches great importance to this friendship 14 Hollande 2012 2017 edit Kurdish President Massoud Barzani has met with French President Francois Hollande in Paris on three occasions in 2014 2015 and in 2016 15 16 17 while Hollande visited Erbil in 2014 and 2017 18 19 French Defence Minister Jean Yves Le Drian met Kurdish officials twice in 2016 once at the Munich Security Conference and once in Erbil 20 21 Military aid edit In August 2014 France sent soldiers to Kurdistan Region to train Kurdish soldiers Peshmerga In January 2015 40 more soldiers were sent to the region 22 In August 2014 France also supplied Kurdish soldiers with an undisclosed amount of weapons and 20 tons of humanitarian aid 23 In early February 2015 a Kurdish military delegation led by Minister of Peshmerga Sayid Qadir met with Hollande to discuss military cooperation 24 French Defence Minister Jean Yves Le Drian made an unannounced visit to Erbil in April 2016 where he stated that I also came here to meet with the Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani and Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani to reiterate the support of France to Peshmerga forces in the fight against Da esh and furthermore that The Peshmerga plays an important role in this fight 25 In June 2016 two shipments of military aid reached Kurdistan Region consisting of MM89 rockets thousands of different types of ammunition defense and attacking grenades and night vision goggles 26 See also editFrance Iraq relationsReferences edit While Kurdistan Region refers to the autonomous Kurdish region in Northern Iraq Iraqi Kurdistan is a geographical term referring to the Kurdish area of Iraq Consulat General de France a Erbil in French Retrieved 17 August 2017 KRG Representation in the Republic of France Archived from the original on 4 January 2019 Retrieved 17 August 2017 a b c The Kurdish mother Danielle Mitterrand was a mountain to Kurds Rudaw 13 March 2016 Retrieved 24 April 2017 IED Drone Kills Kurdish Soldiers French Commandos Popular Science 11 October 2016 Retrieved 17 August 2017 France and Kurdistan Region have historic relations Kurdistan24 3 January 2017 Retrieved 17 August 2017 Michel Joly 2014 Danielle Mitterrand et les Kurdes le reve d une Premiere dame Hommes et migrations in French 1307 134 135 Retrieved 17 August 2017 Danielle Mitterrand dies ex first lady of France Newsday 23 November 2011 Retrieved 17 August 2017 Danielle Mitterrand long term friend of the Kurds has died The Kurdistan Tribune 23 November 2011 Retrieved 17 August 2017 Interview with President Masoud Barzani Kurdistan Regional Government 27 September 2012 Retrieved 17 August 2017 Minister Kouchner opens French Embassy Office in Erbil Kurdistan Regional Government 1 June 2008 Retrieved 17 August 2017 Iraqi Kurdistan President Barzani France French support French embassy in the United States 6 June 2010 Retrieved 17 August 2017 Sarkozy Paris te Barzani ile gorustu in Turkish Hurriyet Retrieved 17 August 2017 President Barzani meets President Sarkozy signs protocol with French Government 17 June 2010 Retrieved 17 August 2017 President Barzani Meets French President Hollande in Paris Kurdistan Region Presidency 23 May 2014 Retrieved 24 April 2017 Massoud Barzani a Paris pour plaider la cause de Kurdes La Croix 10 February 2015 Retrieved 24 April 2017 President Barzani arrives in France Kurdistan24 6 September 2016 Retrieved 24 April 2017 French President to visit Iraq Kurdistan Region Kurdistan24 1 January 2017 Retrieved 24 April 2017 Hollande Pledges Continued Military Support for Kurds Rudaw 12 September 2014 Retrieved 24 April 2017 Barzani met with variety of world leaders in Munich NRT 12 February 2016 Retrieved 24 April 2017 Peshmerga to receive weapons from France Kurdistan24 13 April 2017 Retrieved 24 April 2017 France Is Sending More Troops to Help Iraq Fight the Islamic State Vice News 23 January 2015 Retrieved 17 August 2017 France to send arms to Iraqi Kurds Aljazeera 14 August 2014 Retrieved 17 August 2017 Kurdish Peshmerga minister lobbies France for advanced weapons Rudaw 4 February 2015 Retrieved 17 August 2017 Peshmerga to receive weapons from France Kurdistan24 13 April 2016 Retrieved 17 August 2017 France sends new military aid shipments to Kurdistan Kurdistan24 15 June 2016 Retrieved 17 August 2017 Further reading edit Entretien de Bernard Kouchner sur les relations de la France avec l Irak et de la Region du Kurdistan 11 June 2010 Retrieved 17 August 2017 Portals nbsp Politics nbsp France nbsp Kurdistan Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title France Kurdistan Region relations amp oldid 1188565903, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
