PM Barzani tells France’s Macron he respects Iraq’s stance on Kurdish independence

Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, who is visiting Paris, has reaffirmed to French President Emmanuel Macron that the autonomous region will respect Iraqi federal court ruling against the independence referendum that took place in September. The Kurds will engage in dialogue with Baghdad in order to mend relations and find common ground, Barzani said according to Reuters. Macron, for his part, said he was convinced a “constructive dialogue” could lead to the lifting of restrictions on the Kurdish region. The French President also urged Iraq to dismantle all militia groups, including the government-run Popular Mobilization Forces (PMU) as part of “a gradual demilitarization.”