Prospects of developing the Iraqi -French relations "

Abstract

France was one of the most important countries for Iraq in the period prior to the American occupation of Iraq in 2003. However, its position and status significantly declined after the occupation and until recently. Nevertheless, French policy, particularly during the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy (2007-2012), adopted a different approach than its predecessors, especially Jacques Chirac (2002-2007), who distanced France from the American-British war against Iraq in 2003. Sarkozy pursued a new policy towards the United States, and France is now trying to reap the benefits through the Iraqi gateway, especially after President Sarkozy's historic visit to Iraq on February 10, 2009, which marked the first visit by a French president to Iraq since the establishment of the Iraqi state. This was followed by President François Hollande's visit (2012-present) in September 2014.

In this research, we will discuss the prospects for developing Iraqi-French relations. However, it is necessary to first examine the general outlines of the history of relations between the two countries and their current reality before delving into a discussion of mechanisms for developing those relations.