Highlights from Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi’s Article Published in French Newspaper Le Figaro ••••• 🔵 Iraq-France relations are built on historic ties and a genuine strategic partnership in the fields of economy, energy, industry, and culture. 🔵 Our meeting with President Emmanuel Macron represents an opportunity to redefine our relationship on the basis of mutual interests. 🔵 We want to open a new chapter in our relations, with Iraq as an active partner rather than a country seeking assistance or political protection. 🔵 Our visit to France and Germany comes at an important time for the region, and we need regional, European, and international efforts to contain tensions. 🔵 Our country today is stronger, more stable, and sovereign. This means a stronger partner for France and Europe and a greater contributor to the region’s stability and prosperity. 🔵 The Strait of Hormuz crisis has directly affected Iraq’s oil export capacity, trade flows, and the stability of state revenues. 🔵 Europe’s interest in a stable Iraq is inseparable from its economic and security interests. 🔵 Investment in a stable, secure, and sovereign Iraq will have a positive impact on the economies and security of European countries. 🔵 We seek to prevent escalation in the region and pursue a policy of dialogue, balance, and non-alignment with any party to the conflict. 🔵 We will not allow Iraqi territory to become a base for launching threats against neighboring countries or an arena for settling scores among regional and international powers. 🔵 Iraq maintains relations and channels of communication with regional and international parties and can help reduce tensions, promote de-escalation, and open new avenues for dialogue and understanding. 🔵 Our ability to play a greater economic, political, and regional role begins at home. There can be no stable and effective Iraq without a strong state. 🔵 Bringing all arms under state control is not a confrontation with any party; rather, it is an essential condition for building a unified state in which there are no competing centers of power or decision-making. 🔵 Strengthening our security and military institutions and enhancing cybersecurity are among our key priorities. 🔵 Deepening security, military, and defense cooperation with our partners will become increasingly important following the conclusion of the Global Coalition’s mission on September 30. 🔵 Iraq’s position as a corridor for trade and energy will be strengthened by its strategic location connecting the Gulf, Asia, Türkiye, and Europe. 🔵 The Development Road Project will connect the Gulf to Europe through a network of roads and railways extending more than 1,900 kilometers. 🔵 We are working to move from agreements and political frameworks to implementation. The measure of success will be the scale of investment, the number of job opportunities created, technology transfer, and the development of Iraqi capabilities. 🔵 Our goal is a stronger, more stable, and more sovereign Iraq, with an enhanced partnership with France and deeper engagement with Europe. ••••• Media Office of the Prime Minister September 14, 2026