French President Emmanuel Macron met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in Paris on Thursday and offered to mediate talks between Baghdad and Iraqi Kurdistan which held an independence referendum last month.
“Emmanuel Macron stressed the importance of preserving the unity and integrity of Iraq while recognising the rights of the Kurdish people. Any escalation must be avoided,” the presidency said.
On September 25, 92 percent of Kurds voted in favor of secession from Iraq. The Iraqi central government considered the referendum unconstitutional and refused to recognize its results.