Iraq and France sign strategic partnership agreement to boost economic co-operation
According to a statement from the French Presidency Foundation, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani, who is visiting Paris as part of a government delegation, and French President Emmanuel Macron signed a series of strategic agreements aimed at strengthening economic and energy cooperation between Iraq and France. The agreement comes amid French efforts to search for energy alternatives following the cut-off of Russian supplies due to the war in Ukraine.
During the meeting, the two countries signed an agreement aimed at strengthening bilateral relations in the fields of anti-corruption, security, renewable energy, transport, culture and tourism, the Elysee Palace said Friday.
Macron and Al Sudani “confirmed their commitment to completing major infrastructure projects based on French expertise … and in this regard they pledged to give Iraq the experience of French companies,” al-Elysee said.
“In the field of alternative energies, they have shown their commitment to the implementation of the Total Energy Multiple Projects project… relying on solar energy and investments in gas,” the statement said.
Al Sudani also announced the signing of a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement to establish a roadmap for cooperation.
“Macron and I just signed the Strategic Partnership Agreement, which lays out a roadmap for expanding cooperation between our two countries in various fields, ” he said in a tweet.
“We will continue to work with friends for serious partnerships that will ensure Iraq achieves economic reform and sustainable development, as we outlined and planned in the government program,” he said.
Prior to the visit, a statement from Al Sudani’s office said, “The visit will witness the signing of a strategic partnership agreement between Iraq and France, which will include many issues in the areas of joint cooperation in the economic, investment, security, counter-terrorism and extremism, cultural exchange, and the promotion of peace in the two countries, the Middle East region, and the world.”
The meeting comes amid competition between France and Qatar over energy projects in Iraq, especially after Doha recently announced that it will hold talks to acquire a share of the energy projects run by the French company Total Energy.
Macron signed a huge deal with Iraq on energy issues during his visit to Iraq in August 2021, opening the door for increased cooperation with Iraq in various fields, especially economic and security ones.
When Total Energy and Baghdad signed an agreement in 2021 to build four giant solar, gas, electricity and water power projects in southern Iraq over a 25-year period, hopes were high that companies would forego leaving the country. ExxonMobil, Shell and BP have expanded their operations in Iraq over the past few years.
Paris is seeking alternatives to Russian gas by forging partnerships with oil- and gas-rich countries such as Algeria, Qatar and Iraq.
The development of mutual cooperation in the fields of energy, oil and the accompanying gas investment was also at the top of the talks between Al Sudani and French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne at the French Prime Minister’s headquarters.
Discussions focused on “developing mutual cooperation in the fields of energy, oil and gas, as well as strengthening cooperation in transportation, culture and antiquities protection and conservation,” according to a statement from the two sides.
The meeting was attended by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Oil, Industry, Minerals and Culture, as well as the Chairman of the Integrity Commission and the Baghdad Mayor.
The Al Sudani government seeks to benefit from French expertise in many economic fields amidst Al Sudani efforts to support its reform program and attract foreign investments, in addition to its focus on the fight against corruption. The issue of crisis management and the fight against economic crime was among the topics discussed, as Iraq suffers from the spread of the phenomenon of corruption, which led it to the last place on the table of transparency on the international level.
In mid-October, the Iraqi government said that $2.5 billion in tax money had been stolen, and that former senior officials and businessmen were involved.
