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.