ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - France condemns the "unjustified" attacks targeting the Kurdistan Region, an official said, warning they threaten the stability and security of the Region even as it has maintained neutrality amid the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran.
In an interview with Rudaw’s Bestoon Othman late Monday, Pascal Confavreux, deputy spokesperson for the French foreign ministry, said Paris opposes strikes against the Kurdistan Region and called for urgent de-escalation across the region.
“The indefinite prolongation of military operations poses an important threat," Confavreux said, adding that Paris condemns "all the unjustified attacks actually that are coming and that threaten the stability and the security of the Kurdistan Autonomous Region.”
The Kurdistan Region has recently faced a series of drone and missile attacks, many claimed by Iranian aligned armed groups operating in Iraq and the Region, despite declaring neutrality in the wider conflict that erupted following Israeli and US strikes on Iran.
Confavreux said that the priority of the situation is “to the de-escalation” of the conflict, warning that continued fighting could "have a very strong destabilization" for other countries in the region.
His remarks came after French President Emmanuel Macron spoke on Saturday with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, reaffirming Paris’ support for the Region’s stability.
“They agreed to continue the efforts to prevent the regionalization of the conflict and of course to say that the stability of Kurdistan is of utmost importance for France and as well as its security,” Confavreux said.
He added that France considers itself "a reliable partner" for Iraq and the Region, he added.