Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani welcomed Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Rob Nicholson in Erbil today. In a meeting between the two, they discussed the fight against the ISIS terrorists, the military and humanitarian assistance by Canada to the KRG, and enhancing bilateral relations between the two sides.

Foreign Minister Rob Nicholson commended the bravery of the peshmerga forces in fighting the ISIS terrorists. He said as part of the international coalition, Canada would continue to support the KRG with military assistance and added that his country is committed to the security of the people of Kurdistan.

President Barzani thanked Canada for its steadfast support for Kurdistan in this fight, adding that the people of Kurdistan are grateful for this support.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (dfr.gov.krd) – Minister Falah Mustafa, Head of KRG Department of Foreign Relations today received the Canadian Ambassador to Iraq, Mr. Bruno Saccomani and his accompanying delegation to discuss the tragic incident that resulted in the death of the Canadian Armed Forces Member, Sergeant Andrew Joseph Doiron.

Commenting on the incident, Ambassador Saccomani stated, “It was an incredibly unfortunate incident. We hope that we can increase our level of communication in order to prevent such incidents from happening. Sergeant Doiron lost his life in the line of duty. We will honor and remember his service to Canada.”

He added, “We value our allies and we consider the Kurdistan Region as an ally. Canada is here to support Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in the fight against ISIS. Members of international community have a moral obligation to fight terrorism and extremism. We are committed to continue fighting the ISIS as part of the international coalition, within the present Canadian Government Approved Mission.”

Reiterating the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Ambassador stressed, “We are proud of our involvement in the fight against ISIS, and grateful to the men and women to whom it falls to carry out our commitment to peace and security.”

Minister Falah Mustafa said, “In the name of the Kurdistan Regional Government, we express our deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Sergeant Doiron as well as the people and the government of Canada. We will honor and remember his service to the Kurdistan Region. We wish those injured a speedy recovery.”

He added, “Since the beginning of the ISIS attacks on the Kurdistan Region, the government of Canada has been at the forefront of the international coalition against ISIS. Canada has been a critical partner in the fight against ISIS. The people and the government of the Kurdistan Region are very appreciative of Canada’s continued support.”

The KRG Ministry of Peshmerga issued a statement today stating that a committee has been formed to investigate the occurrence of the tragic incident and to work on preventing such an incident from happening.

Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq (KRG.org) – Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani yesterday met with Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird and his accompanying delegation to discuss the current situation and Canada’s military and humanitarian assistance.

The Foreign Minister applauded the Kurdistan Region for combating terrorism and providing humanitarian aid for the displaced. He described the acts committed by the terrorists against civilians and the Kurdistan Region as tragic.

The visiting delegation reiterated Canada’s continuous support for the Kurdistan Region in its fight against the terrorists and its efforts to provide humanitarian aid for the displaced.

Deputy Prime Minister Talabani applauded Canada’s provision of humanitarian and military aid and hailed the role of Canada’s Ambassador to Iraq. He stressed that the Kurdistan Region is fighting terrorism on behalf of the whole world.

KRG Minister of Interior Karim Sinjari, Chief of Staff to the President of the Kurdistan Region, Dr Fuad Hussein, and other officials also attended the meeting.

Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq (KRG.org) – Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani yesterday received Canada’s Ambassador Bruno Saccomani to discuss the recent visit of the Canadian Foreign Minister to Erbil and discuss the latest humanitarian and security developments.

Prime Minister Barzani conveyed his government’s gratitude to Canada for its important role in providing humanitarian aid to the Kurdistan Region to help alleviate the crisis and assist the displaced, noting the successful visit of Canada’s Foreign Minister last week. The Prime Minister appreciated that Canada was among the first countries to come forward and support the Kurdistan Region in its fight against terrorism.

The Prime Minister and the Ambassador discussed the international effort to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) terrorists and the establishment of an international coalition against the terrorists. Prime Minister Barzani welcomed the NATO coalition to combat the terrorists that followed the initiative of the United States, adding that he hoped the outcome of such a coalition would lead to tangible results on the ground.

Ambassador Saccomani commended the Peshmerga forces, fighting terrorist on all fronts, for their courage and for their victories over the past several days. Prime Minister Barzani explained that the people and the government of the Kurdistan Region are proud of their Peshmerga forces and urged the international community to support the Peshmerga in every way possible so that they are fully equipped to fight the terrorist militants.

Finally, both sides stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral relations between the Kurdistan Region and Canada. The Prime Minister lauded Ambassador Saccomani’s role in furthering this relationship. The Ambassador noted that a Canadian trade delegation would visit Kurdistan early next year to help expand economic relations, an initiative welcomed by Prime Minister Barzani.

Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani met with the Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird in Salahaddin today.

The President and the Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister discussed Canada’s humanitarian and military support for the KRG, the fight against the ISIS terrorists, and the political process in Baghdad.

Foreign Minister Baird praised the leadership of President Barzani and the role of the Kurdistan Region Peshmerga forces for standing up to ISIS terrorists and said that Canada stands shoulder to shoulder with the KRG in this fight. He added that his country would continue to support the KRG with humanitarian aid and military equipment. Mr. Baird also paid tribute to the peshmerga for their sacrifices in protecting and saving Yezidi, Christian, and other minorities and for offering a safe refuge for them. He said the world appreciates the KRG and its leadership for their generosity towards the IDPs and refuges.

President Barzani thanked Foreign Minister Baird for visiting Kurdistan, saying that the visit in itself is a strong message support and solidarity to our people. The President also thanked Canada and all other countries for their humanitarian and military support and for standing by the people and government of Kurdistan.

Both the President and the Canadian Foreign Minister agreed that the ISIS terrorists pose a threat to the whole world and confronting them needs cooperation and collective action by all sides.

They also discussed efforts to form an inclusive government in Baghdad. President Barzani said that the KRG would do its best to ensure a genuinely inclusive government is formed in Baghdad.

Erbil, Kurdistan (DFR.KRG.org) – Bruno Saccomani, Canada’s Ambassador to Iraq, visited the KRG Department of Foreign Relations today to express Canada’s support for the Kurdistan Region and to discuss ways of providing assistance.

Minister Falah Mustafa thanked the ambassador for visiting and supporting the Kurdistan Region at this important time. He briefed Ambassador Saccomani about the latest security and humanitarian developments and reiterated the KRG’s call for international support.

Ambassador Saccomani praised Kurdish Peshmerga forces, stating, “We thank Kurdistan for fighting the ISIS militants on behalf of the world.” He commended the humanitarian assistance provided to the refugees and internally displaced people by the Kurdistan Regional Government and the people of Kurdistan Region. He said, “Thank you for being such a great example to the rest of the world. Your compassion and generosity is very much admirable.”

The ambassador emphasized the importance of preserving the safety and stability of the Kurdistan Region, as it has become a safe haven for hundreds of thousands of refugees and IDPs. “During times of chaos, people run to safety. Because of the KRG and Peshmerga forces, people are running to the Kurdistan Region for safety now,” said the ambassador.

Ambassador Saccomani stated that ISIS is an international threat; therefore, the international community has a moral responsibility to come forward and actively support the Kurdistan Region in terms of humanitarian and military support. He expressed Canada’s full support for the American air strikes against ISIS positions. The ambassador stated that the government of Canada hears the KRG loud and clear and that it will very soon provide logistical military support as well as humanitarian assistance to the refugees and IDPs. The Ambassador spoke of providing urgent medical support for the thousands of Yezidis who were stranded on Mount Sinjar for several days and have taken shelter in the province of Duhok.

Minister Mustafa thanked the Ambassador for Canada’s support and reiterated the determination of the Kurdish leadership and Kurdish Peshmerga forces to continue to fight ISIS terrorists.

Michael Calan, Director General of the Middle East Division at the Canadian Department of International Development and Karwan Jamal, Deputy Head of the DFR, also attended the meeting.

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq – (DFR.krg.org) - Following the opening of Canada’s Trade Representation Office in Erbil last month, a Canadian delegation headed by Canada’s Ambassador to Iraq Bruno Saccomani visited Kurdistan to work on boosting educational and agricultural ties.

As part of their visit to the region, the delegation visited the Department of Foreign Relations where they were received by the Head of the Department, Minister Falah Mustafa and the Assistant Head of the DFR, Siham Jabali.

Ambassador Saccomani spoke about his pleasure with the speed with which relations are growing between Kurdistan and Canada. He attributed this in part due to the opening of the Trade Representation Office in Erbil and the visit by Canada’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Consular Services, Lynne Yelich last month. A Kurdish – Canadian economic forum also took place during Minister Yelich’s visit.

Minister Mustafa welcomed the delegation and Ambassador Saccomani to the DFR and said that he was pleased with the level of commitment being shown by the Canadian government in finding ways of mutual cooperation. He said, ‘We welcome these exchanges of visits and we would benefit greatly through educational cooperation and exchange programs with Canada.’

The Canadian delegation briefed the Minister about the purposes of this visit, highlighting that they want to focus for now on educational and agricultural cooperation. They added that they hoped that they could build educational linkages, and are working on promoting Canada as a destination for students from the region, both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The delegation also held meetings at the Ministry of Higher Education and Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources.

 Salahadin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (KRP.org) - Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani received a delegation from Canada today at his office in Salahadin. The delegation was headed by Ms. Lynne Yelich, Canada's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Consular. During the meeting the President welcomed the delegation and expressed hope that the relations between the Kurdistan Region and Canada will grow further.

Ms. Yelich and President Barzani discussed a number of current issues facing Iraq and the Middle East, including the ongoing influx of Syrian refugees to the Kurdistan Region.

The Canadian delegation is planning to open a trade mission in Erbil so that Canadian corporations can more easily solidify their presence in the Kurdistan Region. In addition to oil and gas, education and other areas of focus for the Canadian trade mission, the President stressed on the need for cooperation on the development of the agriculture sector in Kurdistan.