Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Iraqi Prime Minister meets Macron in Paris for energy and security talks

Iraqi Prime Minister meets Macron in Paris for energy and security talks

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani arrives in France on Thursday for energy and security talks with President Emmanuel Macron.

French oil company TotalEnergies in 2021 signed a 10 billion euro contract with Baghdad, but work on a complex series of projects is yet to begin.

Plans include the construction of oil and gas processing facilities with the capacity for electricity production, along with a one-gigawatt photovoltaic power plant.

Despite being home to a wealth of hydrocarbon reserves, Iraq's neglected electricity grid is dilapidated and power cuts often last for hours.

Neighbouring Iran supplies a third of Iraq's gas and electricity, and Baghdad is seeking greater energy independence.


Pro-Iranian parties


Sudani's coalition government, formed in October, is supported by pro-Iranian parties.

President Macron is particularly invested in Iraq, having twice visited the country since taking office in 2017. Last month the French leader told a regional conference in Jordan that Baghdad should embark on a path not "dictated from outside".

Security will also be discussed, with Sudani saying talks will include "training and development of Iraqi security capabilities, as well as in the field of arms purchases".

Baghdad has also played a role as mediator between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia, after diplomatic relations between the countries froze in 2016.

The last meetings took place in April and Sudani, although unable to say when talks might resume, said he felt that Iran and Saudi Arabia are "ready to resume dialogue".


'Long-running saga'


One recurring item on the agenda will be the Bagdad Elevated Train project. Plans for the construction of a French-funded metro system in Bagdad are not new, and were called a "long-running saga" by Middle East Business Intelligence, a portal that monitors the region's economy.

In 2011, the French Alstom group signed a preliminary, 1,5 billion euro deal with the Bagdad city government for the construction of a 25 km high-level metro. According to a Reuters despatch at the time, the metro would be "partly funded by a French government loan covering 50 to 60 percent of the cost" with the remainder financed through a low-interest loan from a French government-run bank "to be repaid over 20 years."

The metro was never built. In October 2020, Alstom announced again that it "had signed a letter of intent" with the Iraqi Ministry of Transport for the construction of an "elevated train" line of 20 km. The letter was signed during a ceremony in Paris by then Prime Ministers Jean Castex of France and his Iraqi counterpart Mustafa Al Kadhimi.

At the end of 2022, the "Baghdad Elevated Train" (BET) project was finally included in Iraq'a 2023 budget, with the spokesperson of Iraq's Ministry of Transport cited as saying that the line could have a length of "more than 50 km."


Cultural cooperation


France also works with Germany in Iraq. On the 60th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty, signed on 22 Janufromy 1963, the foundation stone was laid for the future “French-German Cultural Institute” in Erbil, capital of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Region (KRI).

According to a press release from the French presidency, this institute will be housed in the Erbil Citadel, a UNESCO world heritage site, and will host language programs and cultural activities.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×