Speaker Dr. Rewaz Faiq welcomes France's new Ambassador to Iraq Eric Chevallier

Kurdistan Parliament Speaker Dr. Rewaz Faiq on 26 September welcomed France’s new Ambassador to Iraq Eric Chevallier. They discussed the latest political developments, inter-parliamentary relations, the late Madame Danielle Mitterrand, and the early Iraqi election.

Speaker Faiq stressed that Iraqis have no better option than to exercise the principles of democracy and to have the true participation of all the different ethnic and religious communities.

The importance of the historic relationship between Kurdistan and France was also covered, including the inauguration of the first Kurdistan Parliament (National Assembly as it was called then) in 1992 by the late First Lady of France Danielle Mitterrand, who remains in the hearts and minds of all Kurdistanis, and is one of the many instances of France’s support over the years.

Speaker Faiq also referred to France’s assistance to the Kurdistan Region in the war against ISIS.

She gave an overview of Parliament's work and the laws and bills in the current fifth term.

The Speaker and Ambassador Chevallier also talked about the commemoration in November of the death 10 years ago of Madame Mitterrand, who is remembered here as the Mother of the Kurds. ’ Speaker Faiq said that the Kurdistan Parliament looks forward to participating in the remembrance in Erbil.

Ambassor Chevallier pointed to the importance of the bilateral parliamentary relationship, with recent visits by French MPs and Kurdistani MPs to each other’s parliaments, and said that this can be developed to further benefit from legislative and administrative expertise.