French president François Hollande will visit Iraq on Friday to underscore his support for the fight against Islamic State militants ahead of a conference on Iraqi security set for September 15 in Paris, his office said in a statement Tuesday, reports FRANCE 24.
"With the agreement of the Iraqi authorities, the president has confirmed that an international conference on the peace and security of Iraq will take place in Paris on September 15," a statement from the Elysée presidential palace said.
"It will bring together the international and regional partners who share this goal and who are helping to bring it about."
Iraqi President Fuad Masum as well as regional and international leaders will attend the talks, the Elysée said.
Islamic State jihadists, also known as ISIS or ISIL, have taken over vast areas of northern Iraq as well as parts of Syria since launching a major offensive in early June, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their advance.
The statement from Hollande's office came the same day that Britain announced it would be shipping arms and artillery to Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State militants inside Iraq.
UK defence secretary Michael Fallon said Tuesday that the initial shipment "will consist of heavy machine guns and ammunition", noting that the Kurds are "significantly less well-equipped" than the jihadists they are facing.
Read more of this report from FRANCE 24.