Macron arrives in Baghdad for talks with Iraqi leaders

BAGHDAD - French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday arrived in Iraq's capital Baghdad for talks with top Iraqi leaders over bilateral relations while showing solidarity with the war-torn country.

Macron is expected to meet with Iraqi President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi as well as other top officials during his one-day visit, according to local media reports.

This is Macron's first official trip to Iraq. He is also the first presidential-level official to visit Iraq since al-Kadhimi took office in May.

France is part of a US-led international coalition tasked with helping the Iraqi security forces fight against the Islamic State militants by carrying out airstrikes against their positions in Iraq and Syria as well as providing military equipment and training to Iraqi forces.