Shafaq News / On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron held a joint meeting with iraqi Presidents, Barham Salih, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi and Muhammad al-Halbousi.

 In statements from Baghdad, Macron said, "Iraqi and French forces are fighting side by side to make sure that the ISIS is defeated.

 He added that "challenges are many to ensure the sovereignty of Iraq; there are  security and economic challenges inside Iraq and in the region.”

Later; Macron said in a joint press conference held with Iraqi President Barham Ahmed Saleh that "Iraq has been going through a challenging phase for years because of war and terrorism."

 He added, "The war against ISIS is not over yet, even if we defeated the organization on the ground, they are still present in the region and on Iraqi lands, stressing that “ we will continue to work on this issue within the framework of Iraqi sovereignty;” adding that "it is in the interest of the international community to support Iraq."

 Macron noted that "the second challenge facing Iraq is the external interventions that began years or recently," noting that "these interventions can weaken your government, your state, and the interests of the Iraqi people." addressing Saleh. Adding that "officials in Iraq must build the sovereignty of their country."

The French president emphasized that "Iraq is going through economic and security,” declaring that "Iraqi officials must lead a transitional phase and build  Iraqi sovereignty."

For its part; Iraqi President Barham Salih affirmed that Iraq is a sovereign state that respects its neighbors and the international community.

 "We are looking forward to strengthening our relationship with France to build a strategic partnership; We also have achieved a great victory over terrorism and extremism."

 He added, "Iraq is looking forward to playing a pivotal role in the region, and we do not want to be a battleground for others."