U.S., French leaders talk over phone on Iraqi issues

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by phone on Monday with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, both calling for dialogue between the Iraqi and Kurdish regional governments, said the White House in a statement.

The two leaders agreed on the need for the Iraqi government and the Kurdish regional government to resolve their differences through dialogue, the statement said.

Trump and Macron also discussed the path to peace in the Middle East, reaffirming their commitment to the stability in the region, it added.

The phone call came days after the French president called for a constructive national dialogue in Iraq to have a "strong and integrated" Iraq and a "respect for pluralism" in the country's Kurdish region.

The dialogue must be built in full compliance with the 2005 Constitution of Iraq, said Macron on Saturday after his meeting in Paris with Nechirvan Barzani, prime minister of Iraqi Kurdish regional government. Enditem