Defense Minister: Canada to continue military, humanitarian support to Kurdistan Region

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Canadian Defense Minister arrived at the Kurdistan Region and promised further military assistance to the Peshmerga forces.

On Wednesday, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and other KRG officials received a Canadian military delegation headed by the Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan.

Attending an international meeting with allies battling ISIS, Sajjan said Canada will continue to have a military mission in Iraq through 2017 but did not offer details on the size and scope of it.

According to a statement by the KRG, Sajjan thanked the Peshmerga forces for their good cooperation with the Canadian military advisors and trainers and expressed Canada’s readiness to provide further military assistance to the Peshmerga.

The Minister said that the stability in the Kurdistan Region can attract foreign investors, adding that the Canadian government can encourage its investors to consider the Region.

According to the KRG statement, the Canadian Defense Minister stressed on having a comprehensive joint plan for the post-Islamic State (IS) Mosul to create stability in the region and return trust to the people of the liberated areas.

The KRG PM Nechirvan Barzani reassured the Minister that Kurdistan Region is a stable region and highlighted opportunities for investments.

PM Barzani thanked the Canadian humanitarian and military assistance for the Kurdistan Region, hoping for the continuation of the assistance especially on the humanitarian side as there are extensive number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who have been taking shelter in the Region.

In 2014, when Canadian soldiers first arrived in the Region to help the fight against ISIS, they wore the Kurds’ distinctive red, white and green flag with a sun emblem on the Canadian soldiers’ uniforms next to the Canadian maple leaf.

Editing by Ava Homa