France, Iraq renew ties in several key areas
11/16/2009
PARIS, Nov 16 (KUNA) -- In what senior officials here labeled a "double crowning moment," France and Iraq kicked off a state visit Monday by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani by signing two accords and announcing the signature of two others during the visit.
While President Nicolas Sarkozy was holding talks with Talabani, the Foreign and Defence Ministers of the two countries were signing a cultural, scientific and technical agreement and a defence cooperation agreement that will set the juridical framework for training, weapons and equipment sales and other areas of cooperation.
Later in the visit, Talabanis delegation will ink an agreement with the French COFACE institution, which guarantees investment in foreign countries and which would be responsible for reimbursing French companies for losses in Iraq.
Lastly, France has announced it will sign an accord to open up a bureau of the French Development Agency (AFD), the first time it has done this in Iraq.
This is a "very important visit" as the French leader wants "a partnership in all areas, without limits," a senior diplomat said after the talks.
France intends to sponsor three important projects in Iraq in the near future, including an Agriculture House, a Public/Private partnership to provide a framework and facilities for business to return to Iraq and a Cultural Center in Irbil, northern Iraq, to promote archaeological research and social sciences.
Talabani, himself, told reporters after talks with Sarkozy that the visit "aims at reinforcing relations between our two countries and expanding and broadening them in the political, military, cultural, oil, economy and trade" areas.
He paid tribute to Sarkozy as "a great friend of Iraq" and said he hoped for more agreements between the two nations.
On Tuesday, the Iraqi will hold talks with Senate Parliamentarians and the Mayor of Paris and he will also lay a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe.
Later in the week, he is due to have a series of economic meetings with French business and he will also be received at the National Assembly.
(pickup previous) jk.bs KUNA 162312 Nov 09NNNN
PARIS, Nov 16 (KUNA) -- In what senior officials here labeled a "double crowning moment," France and Iraq kicked off a state visit Monday by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani by signing two accords and announcing the signature of two others during the visit.
While President Nicolas Sarkozy was holding talks with Talabani, the Foreign and Defence Ministers of the two countries were signing a cultural, scientific and technical agreement and a defence cooperation agreement that will set the juridical framework for training, weapons and equipment sales and other areas of cooperation.
Later in the visit, Talabanis delegation will ink an agreement with the French COFACE institution, which guarantees investment in foreign countries and which would be responsible for reimbursing French companies for losses in Iraq.
Lastly, France has announced it will sign an accord to open up a bureau of the French Development Agency (AFD), the first time it has done this in Iraq.
This is a "very important visit" as the French leader wants "a partnership in all areas, without limits," a senior diplomat said after the talks.
France intends to sponsor three important projects in Iraq in the near future, including an Agriculture House, a Public/Private partnership to provide a framework and facilities for business to return to Iraq and a Cultural Center in Irbil, northern Iraq, to promote archaeological research and social sciences.
Talabani, himself, told reporters after talks with Sarkozy that the visit "aims at reinforcing relations between our two countries and expanding and broadening them in the political, military, cultural, oil, economy and trade" areas.
He paid tribute to Sarkozy as "a great friend of Iraq" and said he hoped for more agreements between the two nations.
On Tuesday, the Iraqi will hold talks with Senate Parliamentarians and the Mayor of Paris and he will also lay a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe.
Later in the week, he is due to have a series of economic meetings with French business and he will also be received at the National Assembly.
(pickup previous) jk.bs KUNA 162312 Nov 09NNNN
