France welcomes Kurdish proposal to have dialogue with Iraqi authorities

Paris, Oct 26 (IANS) France said a Kurdish offer to open dialogue with Iraqi authorities was "a positive act" that would help to peacefully deal with the political crisis between Baghdad and Erbil.

"The proposal of the Kurdistan regional government to open a dialogue with the federal government, within the constitutional framework of Iraq, is a positive gesture that we hope the authorities of Baghdad can follow up," Xinhua news agency quoted French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Agnes Romatet Espagne as saying.

"France has repeatedly called for dialogue and restraint for preserving the unity and integrity of Iraq in accordance with its constitution and Kurds' legitimate rights," she added.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Kurdistan regional government proposed to suspend its independence referendum and open dialogue with the federal government based on the Iraqi constitution.

On September 25, Iraqi Kurds voted for independence in a referendum that Baghdad said was illegal.

Tension was ignited in the country after the Iraqi government retook the city of Kirkuk that the Kurds seized from the Islamic State.

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