Baghdad : French President Francois Hollande arrived in Iraq’s capital Baghdad Friday for talks with Iraqi leaders and confirmed his support to Iraq in its fight against terrorism, media reported.
While in Baghdad, Hollande will meet top Iraqi officials, including President Fuad Masoum, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and the parliament Speaker Salim al-Jubouri, to discuss holding an international peace conference in Paris against the Islamic State (IS) militant group, Xinhua reported citing the state-run Iraqiya channel.
Hollande is also expected to visit Erbil, capital of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan, to meet with Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, according to local media reports.
Iraq is witnessing a worsening security situation that began in June when armed Sunni insurgents, spearheaded by the IS, launched a surprise offensive that led to the debacle of Iraqi security forces, and the fall of a large part of the country’s northern and western territories.