Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani, left, receives French President Emmanuel Macron in Erbil. Photo: AP
Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani, left, receives French President Emmanuel Macron in Erbil. Photo: AP
Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani, left, receives French President Emmanuel Macron in Erbil. Photo: AP
Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani, left, receives French President Emmanuel Macron in Erbil. Photo: AP

Emmanuel Macron arrives in Erbil after attending conference in Baghdad


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French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Erbil in Iraq early on Sunday morning.

He was received by Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, AP reported.

Mr Macron was in the country to attend the Baghdad Conference for Co-operation and Partnership, which France helped organised with Iraq.

Countries taking part in the conference included the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar and Iran.

The French leader described Saturday’s summit meeting as historic, showcasing Iraq’s return to stability after the war against ISIS, which was defeated in 2017.

After decades of conflict, Iraq is seeking to reclaim a leadership role and status in the Arab world with a centrist policy and a determination among the country’s top leaders to maintain good relations with the US and its regional allies and also Iran.

Gulf Arab and Iranian officials met in Baghdad on Saturday on the sidelines of the summit that Iraq hoped would encourage its neighbours to talk to each other.

The meetings took place months after Saudi Arabia and Iran resumed direct talks in Iraq that have achieved no breakthrough but have helped offset escalating tension in the Middle East, Reuters reported.

Iraq's security has improved in recent years but it is still plagued by big power rivalries, rampant corruption among its own politicians and heavily armed militias.

Competition for influence in the Middle East between the US and Iran has made Iraq the scene of attacks against US forces and assassinations of Iranian and Iraqi paramilitary leaders.



Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'

Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.

Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.

"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.

"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.

"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."

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Updated: August 29, 2021, 9:59 AM