Macron meets with Iraqi Kurdish leader Barzani

French President Emmanuel Macron met the president of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, in Paris on Wednesday. After the meeting, Barzani expressed his appreciation of Macron's role in maintaining a good relationship between Baghdad and the region.

The independence effort was led by Masoud Barzani, Nechirvan's uncle, who stepped down as Kurdish president in 2017 after the referendum backfired and prompted a military offensive from Baghdad. Following the referendum, Macron had offered to help in mediation efforts between Baghdad and Erbil. Barzani held the premiership in the Kurdistan Region until last month when he was sworn in as president, following a regional parliamentary election in September 2018.