French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian condemned the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) referendum as "inappropriate," and called for talks between Baghdad and Erbil on Monday.

On Friday, KRG leader Massoud Barzani said the vote would not be delayed, despite requests from the United States and other Western powers worried that tensions between Baghdad and Erbil would distract from the war on Daesh terrorists who continue to occupy parts of Iraq and Syria.

The non-binding referendum is planned to see residents in provinces controlled by the KRG vote on independence from Baghdad on Sept. 25.

Iraq Supreme Court orders KRG referendum be suspended The Supreme Court of Iraq on Monday announced that it ordered the non-binding referendum slated for Sept. 25 by the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) to be suspended.Iyas Samuk, a spokesman for the court, said the court had ordered the suspension of all activities related to the referendum until complaints claiming the vote would be unconstitutional have been heard.Following the court’s decision, “So far there hasn’t been any decision taken to postpone the referendum. A Supreme Committee for the Referendum was established regarding the process. The committee should take this decision. The current decision is that the referendum will be held on Sept. 25,” KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani said.The controversial referendum slated for Sept. 25, results of which will be non-binding, will see residents of the Kurdish region vote on whether or not to declare independence from Iraq.Baghdad, however, rejects the planned poll, saying it will adversely affect the fight against Daesh, which still maintains a significant presence in northern Iraq.The Iraqi government also believes that holding the poll would violate the terms of the country's 2005 constitution.Turkey also rejects the planned referendum, saying the region’s stability depends on the maintenance of Iraq’s unity and territorial integrity.Iraq's top security body rejects Kurdish referendumUN chief cautions against Iraqi Kurdish referendum

The oil-rich province of Kirkuk is among the contested areas that the vote is planned to take in.

The Iraqi government believes that holding the referendum would violate the terms of the country's constitution.

Turkey, too, rejects it, saying the region’s stability depends on the unity of Iraq and the maintenance of its territorial integrity.

The U.S. also on Friday strongly urged northern Iraq's KRG to call off the controversial referendum.

Iraq's top security body rejects Kurdish referendum Iraq’s National Security Council rejected late Sunday a referendum for the independence of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq, citing it is “unconstitutional”.The council, chaired by Abadi, met in the capital Baghdad, said Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s office in a statement.According to the statement, the council rejected the Kurdish referendum citing it is “unconstitutional.” It added that the referendum was also posing a threat to the national security and unity of the country.The statement added that the council emphasized the importance of solving problems through dialogue rather than risking the security of the country.The non-binding referendum is planned to see residents in provinces controlled by the KRG vote on independence from Baghdad on Sept. 25.The oil-rich province of Kirkuk is among the contested areas that the vote is planned to take place in.Last week, Iraqi lawmakers voted against the Kurdish independence referendum and called on the Baghdad government to negotiate with the semi-autonomous Kurdish government.The Iraqi government is opposed to the poll, claiming it will affect the war against Daesh, cause instability and violate the Iraqi constitution. Turkey and the U.S. are also opposed to the vote.