Iraq, France sign six agreements on defence, energy, aviation
PARIS – Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and French President Emmanuel Macron witnessed the signing of six memoranda of understanding, declarations of intent and cooperation protocols between the two countries in security, energy and aviation on Monday, as Baghdad seeks to broaden its partnerships with European countries.
The agreements were signed at the start of Zaidi’s visit to France, the first stop on a European tour aimed at expanding Iraq’s partnerships with a number of countries.
Defence cooperation featured prominently in the agreements, with Iraq’s Defence Ministry signing a letter of intent with French artificial intelligence company Harmattan AI aimed at using advanced technologies to strengthen Iraq’s ability to protect its airspace and enhance its defence capabilities.
The two sides also signed a declaration of intent with France’s Ministry for the Armed Forces covering the acquisition of French military equipment as part of Iraq’s efforts to rebuild and develop its defence capabilities.
The agreement could provide a framework for longer-term cooperation in training, equipment, maintenance and the transfer of expertise as Baghdad seeks to modernise its armed forces and strengthen its ability to respond to emerging security threats.
The defence arrangements include plans for further negotiations with French suppliers on systems including artillery, counter-drone technology, air defence platforms and surveillance equipment.
The visit also produced agreements aimed at supporting young people, research and innovation. The Iraqi and French foreign ministries signed a declaration of intent to expand opportunities for young people and strengthen cooperation in research and innovation.
Another declaration was signed to deepen Iraq’s partnership with the French Development Agency, reflecting efforts to expand development cooperation and support projects that could improve Iraq’s economic and public-service infrastructure.
Energy was another major focus of the emerging partnership, with Iraq’s Electricity Ministry signing a cooperation protocol with French energy company TotalEnergies covering a contract for the supply and sale of gas.
The agreement comes as Iraq seeks to strengthen its energy system and ease bottlenecks affecting gas supplies used to operate its power plants.
TotalEnergies chief Patrick Pouyanne said the company was ready to cooperate with Iraq in the oil and energy sectors and plans to increase its investments in the country to $16 billion from $12 billion.
France and Iraq also called for the diversification of oil and gas export routes in the Middle East in response to instability caused by the war between the United States and Iran.
Macron and Zaidi stressed the importance of regional interconnections and diversifying export routes to ensure regional energy security, according to a joint statement.
The two leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, while discussing regional security challenges and the need for de-escalation.
The situation in the region has become increasingly volatile, with the Iran conflict disrupting energy and shipping routes and the Iran-backed Houthis strengthening their hold over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Cooperation is also being expanded in civil aviation through a declaration of intent between the Iraqi and French transport ministries. The agreement could pave the way for developing expertise and infrastructure, improving the efficiency of Iraq’s air transport sector and strengthening economic and tourism links between the two countries.
The latest agreements build on the strategic partnership framework signed by Iraq and France in 2023, which sought to deepen economic, energy and security cooperation.
During their talks, Macron and Zaidi also discussed border security and efforts to strengthen Iraq’s defence capabilities against emerging threats.
Zaidi is due to travel to Germany for the second leg of his European tour, with meetings in Berlin scheduled for Tuesday.