ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A delegation of Kurdistan Region Peshmerga commanders visited France on Monday to lay a wreath for the unknown soldier at the Arc de Triomphe monument in Paris.
The Arc de Triomphe, also known as the “Triumphal Arch of the Star,” is meant to honor those who fought and died for France.
Major General Aziz Waisy, Commander of the Zeravani Peshmerga Command, laid a wreath and lit a fire at the foot of the monument, describing the occasion as a “historic day.”
“We are here [in Paris]; it is a great feeling and a significant day because it is the first time in France’s history that the Kurdish military lights the ‘triumph’ fire here for the unknown soldiers, those who are missing,” he told Kurdistan 24’s Barzan Hassan.
“With the warmth of that fire, the warm relationship between the French army and the Kurdish Peshmerga, the French government and the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG], and the people of both nations continues to grow,” Major General Waisy added.
“This is a significant step that has now been written in France’s history.”
Ali Dolamari, the KRG Representative to France, said he was delighted to attend the ceremony and see the Kurdistan flag raised in Paris.
“Today is a historic day. We were delighted that as Kurds, the Kurdistan flag is raised here in Paris. It is a great feeling,” Dolamari told Kurdistan 24.
“I want to congratulate the Kurdistan Region and all the people of Kurdistan on this historic day where the brotherhood and friendship between France and Kurdistan have increased.”
Construction for the Arc de Triomphe in Paris began in 1806 by architects Jean Chalgrin and Louis-Étienne Héicart de Thury. The neoclassic monument was officially inaugurated in 1836. It stands 50 meters (164 feet) tall.
(Additional reporting by Barzan Hassan)