Peshmerga park to be inaugurated in Paris before next Newroz: Deputy mayor

In a significant move to honor the Kurdish Peshmerga's role in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), the city of Paris will inaugurate a park to pay homage to the Kurdish forces before the next Kurdish New Year (Newroz), deputy to the mayor of Paris told Rudaw on Sunday.

Arnaud Ngatcha confirmed that the inauguration of the park is expected to take place before the end of sitting Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s mandate in March 2026.

The tribute will serve as a powerful symbol of gratitude for the sacrifices made by the Kurdish fighters.

"We owe a great deal to the Kurdish people and the Peshmerga. They fought so that we could have this freedom. It is only natural for Paris to give this tribute to them," Ngatcha remarked.

The deputy to the mayor of Paris further touched on the visit of Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani to Paris on Sunday, noting that it will help "acknowledge and strengthen the role and influence" of the Kurdistan Region on the international stage. Barzani is scheduled to meet with the French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday.

On cultural cooperation between Erbil and Paris, Ngatcha emphasized that President Barzani’s is an opportunity to "amplify our efforts" and solidify the strategic relationship between the two cities.

He stressed that France and the Kurdistan Region enjoy longstanding cultural ties and that “Paris and Erbil are friend cities, and have signed an agreement of cooperation and friendship."

The deputy mayor pointed out that Paris is participating in the renovation of a historic quarter in Erbil, and that Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo is keen on accelerating “cultural cooperation” with Erbil “and not just in one direction. We want Parisians to better understand Kurdish culture and art," he said.

The deputy mayor also highlighted the potential for collaboration with Erbil on climate issues, stressing that "Paris is deeply committed to climate change efforts, and we are ready to support Erbil in addressing these challenges," he added.

The following is the full transcript of the interview:

A park in Paris will be named after the Kurdish Peshmerga. This news has made the Kurdish people so happy. How did this decision come about?

The decision was made after a meeting with Ali Dolamari, [the Kurdistan Regional Government Representative to France], who came to my office and we discussed this wish to have a tribute to [the Kurdish] Peshmerga in Paris. I obviously spoke to the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, who immediately responded positively. As you know, Paris and Erbil are friend cities, and they have signed an agreement of cooperation and friendship. The mayor of Paris is very attached [to the Kurdistan Region]. She has certainly visited Iraqi Kurdistan many times. She is very attached and has a [strong] relationship with the people of Kurdistan. It was only natural of her to give this tribute to the Peshmerga who fought so that we could have this freedom. We know that we owe them a lot. They fought against the Islamic States (ISIS) to give us this freedom. We owe them a lot. We are expressing our gratitude to them through this tribute and [by naming] this square [after them] in this park.

When will this park be inaugurated?

The park will soon be inaugurated, we engaged in an important discussion about it, the mayor of Paris [discussed it] when she received the governor of Erbil [Omed Khoshnaw] when he visited Paris, they discussed it. I know that there are some final details to address and I know that your President [Nechirvan Barzani] will meet [French] President Emmanuel Macron tomorrow.

It is obvious that we must coordinate this event so that it is a great international event. What I can tell you is that the mayor of Paris asked for it to be done before the end of her mandate, which will be in March 2026, so the date should not be long.

Will you be placing a statue that is related to the Peshmerga or Kurdistan in the park?

I must keep some type of confidentiality because when there are inaugurations like this one, we must keep this confidentiality of what this tribute [to the Peshmerga] will be. I will not give you details, because it is not my role to do it. It is up to the mayor of Paris, but this tribute will be up to the level of respect that we have for Peshmerga. It will be a very beautiful moment.

How do you plan to increase your cooperation with Erbil?

The development of this partnership was addressed during the discussion that the mayor of Paris had with the governor of Erbil, and which I attended. Of course, to strengthen our cultural cooperation, the mayor gave her agreement so that we accelerate this cultural cooperation. Erbil is an exceptional historical city. If we can, through exchanges of cultural cooperation, also promote this magnificent culture that is yours, we will do it here in the [French] capital. And there is also this renovation in the historical center of a house in which Paris is participating. The goal is to participate and to have a piece of Paris in this magnificent historical city of Erbil, this incredible fortress.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani was invited to Paris by French President Emannuel Macron to meet and have lunch. How can this engagement strengthen ties between Paris and Erbil?

I am pleased with this meeting between the President of the French Republic and President Barzani. It also serves to acknowledge and, more than that, to strengthen the role and influence of your country on the international stage and the importance it holds, even more so today, in this transformation of the world.

It is obviously not my place to comment on the decisions of the President of the French Republic. He is the chief diplomat, and I, as the international deputy of the city of Paris I am bound by everything he directs. What I can say is that as the international deputy for the city of Paris, is that Paris will continue its cooperation with Erbil and soon with this homage to the Peshmerga, I can only be happy that the President of the Republic [of France], through him, France, the French state, is continuing to strengthen its ties with Kurdistan and as I said before, it is essential [to do so]. We owe a great deal to the Kurdish people [and Peshmerga]. They are crucial to stability in the region, to ensuring stability and striving for peace, even if it is a complex task. The role of Kurdistan is essential.

At the level of the French state, the President of the Republic will no doubt announce how he intends to further strengthen relations between your country and France, and here in Paris, as I mentioned, we will continue all of our ongoing cooperation. We will amplify these efforts, notably through the renovations I mentioned, which we will carry out in the fortress of Erbil, and we will develop our cultural cooperation even further.

There is also an important issue I want to point out; the mayor of Paris wanted Erbil to be a member of the International Association of French-Speaking Mayors. So even though you are not a French-speaking country, the fact that Erbil is now a member of this large network of French-speaking cities is truly remarkable. It also demonstrates the attachment we, as the capital of the Francophone, have to linking Erbil to the Francophone realm. Why you may ask, because you share the values that we hold dear. You carry the values of liberty, respect for human beings, the search for peace, and the fight against terrorism and radical Islamism, values that are very close to ours.

We are therefore delighted that Erbil is now part of the International Association of French-Speaking Mayors, and having this platform for meetings with all the French-speaking mayors from around the world is something the mayor of Paris strongly wanted. The governor of Erbil also expressed his pride in being part of this network, and we are very happy about this.

Regarding cultural cooperation, what have you done so far and what are your plans for the future?

So, as I was saying, regarding the actions that have been taken, we were talking about the renovation efforts. As I mentioned, we are participating in part of the renovation of the historic district in Erbil, which is currently underway. In the partnerships that have been established, I also mentioned cultural exchanges, as well as exchanges between the administration of Paris and that of Erbil. We have the opportunity for our senior civil servants to be seconded to Erbil in order to provide training and establish links with the Erbil administration.

And looking ahead, as I mentioned during the meeting the mayor had with the governor of Erbil, the goal is to accelerate this cultural cooperation, particularly these exchanges—but not just in one direction. That is to say, we also want to offer the people of Paris the opportunity to better understand your culture and your art. This is something we will strive to do. The mayor has specifically asked the deputy for culture in the city of Paris to work on strengthening the cultural cooperation we already have.

Additionally, we are available for the assistance of the governor of Erbil for any other areas of cooperation that he deems useful. Topics have notably included the climate crisis, as everyone is facing climate challenges. The French capital and the mayor of Paris are deeply committed to the issue of climate change, and, of course, there are potential agreements for cooperation on this issue as well. There may be opportunities for support in terms of public policies that the governor of Erbil might implement in his magnificent city.

(Source:Rudaw)