Macron From Mosul: The Reconstruction Process is Moving Slow
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French President Emmanuel Macron visits the city of Mosul for the first time, and says that his visit came to express the importance of the city, and to offer appreciation to all sects.
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Macron visited Al-Nour mosque and Al-Sa'a church in the city of Mosul.
Emmanuel Macron, the French President, has completed his tour in Iraq as he visited the city of Mosul for the first time.
Macron visited Al-Nour mosque and Al-Sa'a church in the city, accompanied by Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein and a number of local officials.
في كنيسة سيدة الساعة في الموصل لأؤكّد من جديد التزامي بالروابط العريقة التي تجمعنا بمسيحيي الشرق. وتعمل فرنسا من أجل التعددية التي تمثل ثروة الشرق الأوسط. pic.twitter.com/J6DXBpEc4z
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 29, 2021
The French president said that his visit to the province of Mosul came to express its importance, and to offer appreciation to all sects, noting that the city's reconstruction process is moving slow.
Macron moved, today from the capital, Baghdad, to Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. He was received by Nechirvan Barzani, the president of the region, at Erbil's International Airport in a major military ceremony.
Before leaving Baghdad, the French president had confirmed that he will meet in Erbil with Kurdish officials to renew France's support for the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
The French president had previously visited the Al-Kadhimiya area in Baghdad, and toured with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi in the shrine of Imam Al-Kadhim.
In a tweet in Arabic, Macron thanked the Iraqis in Al-Kadhimiya for receiving him, and indicated his "keenness" to meet the people of Iraq with all its components.
زرت مساء أمس الكاظمية، وهو مقام روحي هام لدى الطائفة الشيعية، للالتقاء بالشعب العراقي بجميع مكوّناته. شكرًا على استقبالكم. pic.twitter.com/dN8LJWm5Zq
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 29, 2021
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Baghdad reported that Macron also held talks with senior Iraqi officials and discussed Lebanon with them, urging them to push the Lebanese officials into reviving the French initiative to solve the crisis in Lebanon.
In a press conference yesterday on the sidelines of the Baghdad Summit for Cooperation and Partnership, French President Emmanuel Macron said that France will keep its forces in Iraq "as part of anti-terrorism operations" for as long as the Iraqi government needed them to stay, regardless of whether or not the US decides to withdraw.
As for Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, he stated in the joint press conference with the French President that the two countries' bilateral cooperation is built on a long-term strategic economic partnership, expressing that he seeks stronger intelligence and security collaboration.
Macron arrived at Baghdad International Airport on Friday evening to participate in the Baghdad Summit for Cooperation and Partnership, where he was received by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi.
