Macron offers Baghdad-Erbil mediation

French President Emmanuel Macron offered to mediate between the Iraqi central government and Erbil on Thursday, following the Kurdistan Region of Iraq’s (KRI) independence referendum held September 25.

During his meeting with with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi at the Elysee Palace, President Macron said France was committed to Iraq’s stability and that dialogue “is the only path.”

“France is ready to contribute actively to the UN’s mediation efforts, if Iraqi authorities so wish,” President Macron said.

Prime Minister Al Abadi urged Iraqi and Kurdish forces to work together. The Thursday capture of Hawija from Islamic State militants by Iraqi forces brings central government troops in direct contact with Peshmerga fighters in Kirkuk, which is claimed by both Erbil and Baghdad.

“We do not want an armed confrontation, we don’t want clashes, but the federal authority must prevail and nobody can infringe on the federal authority,” Prime Minister Al Abadi said. He ruled out negotiations last week, calling the poll “unconstitutional” and demanding that neighbouring countries cease energy imports from the Kurdistan Region.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday that his country would close its border and airspace to the KRI and would decide jointly with Tehran and Baghdad whether to cut oil exports from the region. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday that Iran and Ankara should work together to prevent the region’s independence, while Russian President Vladimir Putin said it was in no one’s interest to cut off oil supplies from the Kurdistan Region. President Putin made the comment during an energy forum in Moscow, saying his government would practice non-interference and use cautious rhetoric to avoid aggravating the issue.

Also on Wednesday, Iraq’s Central Bank allowed most KRI banks to send and receive foreign currency transfers after they pledged co-operation, reversing a ban imposed on Tuesday, after the Kurdistan Regional Government called for presidential and parliamentary elections to take place November 1.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Al Abadi pushed for the central government to receive the revenues from the Kurdistan Region’s oilfields, tweeting “Federal government control of oil revenues is in order to pay KR employee salaries in full and so that money will not go to the corrupt.”