<span style="color: #222222;">France's Foreign Minister has warned of the persistent threat from the Islamic State group in a visit to Iraq yesterday, his first official trip outside the European Union since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.<br />''<br />''Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian met with his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein, in Baghdad. The two leaders discussed a broad range of subjects. Le Drian said there were disturbing signs of an Islamic State resurgence and that gains made to dislodge the group should not be reversed.<br />''<br />''IS-related attacks have increased in parallel with the coronavirus outbreak in Iraq, and as the US-led coalition withdrew from bases across the country's north in a planned drawdown of forces.<br />''<br />''France is a member of the US-led coalition that assisted Iraqi forces in defeating the IS in 2017. Recently, the country's contingent of troops were withdrawn from the coalition over coronavirus fears.<br />''<br />''Le Drian's visit to Iraq was his first outside Europe in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.</span><br />