At the invitation of the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq, Mr. Ali Al-Zaydi, paid an official visit to France on September 13th and 14th, 2026, at the head of a high-level delegation to strengthen the strategic partnership and friendly relations between France and Iraq.
The President of the Republic and the Prime Minister expressed their shared vision for enhancing security and stability in the Middle East, based on the mutual commitment to respecting national sovereignty, non-interference, good neighborliness and territorial integrity, respect for international law and the support for diplomatic solutions to crises and security threats that the region is facing. The Prime Minister expressed his thanks and appreciation to France for its longstanding support for Iraq, notably in the joint fight against ISIS (Daesh) terrorism.
The President of the Republic praised Iraq’s commitment to a balanced foreign policy, as well as its role in building bridges, promoting dialogue and strengthening regional cooperation. They both stressed the importance of continuing dialogue and joint efforts to deescalate regional tensions and ensure regional stability and security. They underlined the important contribution of the Baghdad Conference on Cooperation and Partnership for regional stability and integration.
The President praised the efforts of the Prime Minister and the Iraqi government to limit weapons to the state and stressed that this step represents a key step in strengthening the rule of law and consolidating the sovereignty of the state.
The President of the Republic and the Prime Minister stressed the importance to bolster sustainability projects, regional interconnexions and the diversification of export routes and supply chains, to ensure regional energy security and the stability of energy transportation networks. They also underlined the need to ensure Iraq’s better connectivity with Europe and France.
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to maritime security and to the freedom of navigation, as a fundamental principle of international law, including under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. They also reaffirmed their commitment and support for ways to promote freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening Franco-Iraqi relations, for the benefit of the French and Iraqi people, in the framework of the bilateral strategic partnership signed in 2023, that is to be ratified soon by Iraq, after it was ratified earlier by France.
Based on France's positive role within the international coalition, the President and the Prime Minister agreed to strengthen and continue military cooperation, including strengthening Iraqi capabilities in the field of border protection and supporting Iraq's sovereignty over its territory, after the end of the tasks of the international coalition, and within a bilateral framework that respects the sovereignty of the two countries, to be agreed upon in the future.
The Prime Minister pledged his government’s commitment to continue the investigations and bring those responsible to justice for the attack on French forces on March 11th, which resulted in the death of Major Arnaud Frion and injuries to five French soldiers on Iraqi territory.
Both parties agreed on a strategic roadmap pertaining to future armament acquisitions from the Iraqi armies, provided by French companies. They welcomed the signing of a Letter of Intent related to autonomous air defense systems between the Iraqi Ministry of Defence and the French company “HARMATTAN AI”. The Iraqi Prime Minister announced his intention to support discussions between the French companies and the Iraqi ministry of Defence in aeromobility, artillery systems, C-UAS systems and air defence and surveillance systems.
Both sides reaffirmed their objective to further develop economic relations between the two countries. In this regard, an economic forum was held in Paris, with the attendance of 50 representatives from French companies and with the participation of business leaders, to assess how they could strengthen their business ties, especially within strategic sectors for both countries, such as energy security, infrastructure, industry, defense, services and healthcare.
The two sides stressed the importance of supporting the Iraqi government's programs in combating corruption, The two sides stressed that these national efforts constitute the main pillar of strengthening the rule of law and providing a safe and attractive investment environment for international companies and capital.
The Iraqi government and TotalEnergies agreed to engage discussions on multiple energy projects in Iraq, involving large-scale investments aimed at boosting Iraq’s oil production and contributing to greater energy efficiency and sovereignty as well as energy transition in Iraq.
The two governments signed a letter of Intent concerning the financing by the French Development Agency (AFD), reaffirming AFD’s commitment in Iraq, reiterating the desire to maintain this positive dynamic in close collaboration with the relevant ministries and institutions.
Both parties signed a declaration of intent between the French Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGAC) and the Iraqi General Company for Air Navigation Services (GCANS), to deepen technical and institutional cooperation, strengthen aviation safety and standards, and support the development of air navigation, to the benefit of trade, tourism and people-to-people ties between France and Iraq.
Driven by a shared interest in the preservation and promotion of World cultural heritage and Iraqi historical diversity, both parties committed to continuing their cooperation through French archaeological missions in Iraq. They commended the opening of the Mosul Museum, with the support of the Louvre, as a milestone in the bilateral cooperation in this field.
France will support Iraq in its efforts to develop a national film policy, through a partnership and the exchange of expertise with the CNC. The cooperation already underway with the CNC and the INA to preserve and restore Iraq’s film heritage will also benefit from the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage (ALIPH)’s new initiative dedicated to film and audiovisual heritage, announced at the Lumière Summit.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed Iraq’s longstanding support to the Institut du Monde Arabe, and committed to develop a joint program for exhibitions, both in France and in Iraq, showcasing the world-famous Iraqi archaeological heritage.
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to making education, research and innovation a central pillar of the French Iraqi strategic partnership and to building lasting links between younger generations of France and Iraq. They committed to foster shared knowledge in strategic fields, such as solutions to address climate change and resource scarcity, and artificial intelligence. They agreed to strengthen university cooperation, support the development of new academic partnerships, expand academic and scientific exchanges, as well as student mobility. The Prime minister reiterated his support through the “Higher Committee for Education Development in Iraq” scholarship program and his intention to significantly expand the list of French higher education schools and universities in which Iraqi students can pursue their studies.
The President and the Prime minister welcomed the opening of the Sinjar French Medical Center earlier this year, an initiative funded by France since 2020. The Prime Minister valued the role of the French Republic in supporting the Iraqi government's efforts to reconstruct the areas liberated from the terrorist entity Daesh, and affirmed his government's aspiration for further cooperation in the humanitarian and development fields.
