ARBIL, IRAQ (AFP) - French President Emmanuel Macron paid a visit on Sunday (Aug 29) to the Islamic State terror group's former Iraqi stronghold Mosul, a day after vowing to keep troops in the country.

       Mr Macron made the commitment during a regional summit in Baghdad largely devoted to the fight against terrorism and the impact of the Taleban's takeover of Afghanistan as the United States withdraws.

       "No matter what choices the Americans make, we will maintain our presence in Iraq to fight against terrorism," he told a news conference on Saturday.

       On Sunday, the French leader set foot in Mosul, a Sunni Muslim city recaptured from the Islamic State group in 2017 after three years.

       His visit to Mosul, a melting pot of Iraq's diverse ethnic and religious communities, is seen as an opportunity to renew his support for Christians in the Middle East.

       Mr Macron was to visit the Church of Our Lady of the Hour, which the United Nations' cultural agency Unesco is working to restore.

       France, which finances French-speaking Christian schools in the region, aims to boost the plight of Christians in the Middle East, as well as that of other minorities.

       "This message is not only civilisational, but also geopolitical. There will be no balance in Iraq if there is no respect for these communities," said the French President.

       Mr Macron was also due to make a stop at the site of Mosul's Al-Nuri mosque, where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared the establishment of a "caliphate" in 2014.

       The Islamic State blew up the famed 12th-century mosque in June 2017 as Iraqi forces closed in on the extremists in Mosul's Old City.

       Unesco is now organising a vast project to rebuild it almost identically, with its famed leaning minaret.

       The mosque and church are part of three reconstruction projects led by Unesco and funded by the United Arab Emirates to the tune of US$50 million (S$67.3 million).

       The initiative, called Reviving The Spirit Of Mosul, the largest in the organisation's history, includes plans to rebuild Ottoman-style heritage houses as part of a European-funded project.

       French President Emmanuel Macron (centre, left) and Iraqi PM Mustafa al-Kadhemi (centre, right) at the shrine of Imam Musa Al-Kadhim in Baghdad, Iraq, on Aug 27, 2021. PHOTO: AFP/IRAQI PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE

       Mr Macron last Friday visited the Shi'ite Muslim shrine of Imam Musa Al-Kadhim in the northern Baghdad district of Kadhimiya, accompanied by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

       It was the first such visit for a French president, he said.

       Mr Macron will also meet young Iraqis, including entrepreneurs and students, at the University of Mosul.

       Later in the day, he will visit Arbil, capital of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan.

       After a visit to French special forces at Camp Grenier, Mr Macron will hold talks with Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani, as well as his predecessor Massud Barzani.

       "I look forward to discuss bilateral ties, Iraqi elections and other pressing issues with President Macron. I remain grateful for France's continued support to the Kurdistan Region and Iraq," the Iraqi Kurdish president wrote on Twitter.

       Mr Macron will also meet the family of a Peshmerga fighter killed by the Islamic State, to pay tribute to the Kurdish contribution to the fight against the Islamists.

       Join ST's Telegram channel here and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

       Topics:

       More Whatsapp Linkedin FB Messenger Telegram Reddit WeChat Pinterest Print Copy permalink https://str.sg/3ijM