Macron says France supports Iraqi PM’s efforts to safeguard sovereignty

CAIRO (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron discussed energy cooperation with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and working together on a nuclear project that could solve Iraq’s chronic electricity shortages, Kadhimi said on Wednesday.

“We talked about a future project, using nuclear energy to produce electricity and peaceful projects, which will be under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency … which will create jobs and address electricity shortages,” Kadhimi said in a Baghdad news conference.

Macron said they also discussed military cooperation in the face of Islamic State militants and French support for building a metro railway in Baghdad.

Any military cooperation with Iraq should be respectful of its sovereignty and France supports Kadhimi’s efforts to safeguard it, as well as to “normalize” all armed forces, Macron said, referring to mostly Iran-backed Shi’ite militia groups.