PARIS, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- France will provide a total of 430 million euros (512.7 U.S. dollars) in loan to Iraq in 2017, the French foreign ministry announced in a press release on Saturday.
"France will accompany the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq to achieve a lasting peace that reconciles all the components of the Iraqi society," the release said.
The loan will facilitate the war-torn country's effort to obtain international financial programs, which are essential for its reconstruction phase, it added.
The ministry also hailed the victory of the Iraqi army in Mosul against the Islamic State (IS) in the press release.
"The battle against IS must continue in order to free the remaining parts of Iraq, including Tal Afar, Hawija and Anbar," it said.
French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and defence minister Florence Parly kicked off a visit to Iraq on Friday evening.
"This visit also gives a new impetus to the relationship between our two countries in all fields," including "political dialogue, economic relations and cooperative actions," said the release.
