Kurdistan Region’s Prime Minister meets Canadian Ambassador to Iraq, as does Head of Department of Foreign Relations
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – On Monday, Canada’s newly-appointed ambassador to Iraq, Ulric Shannon, visited Erbil, where he met the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Masrour Barzani, as well as Safeen Dizayee, Head of the KRG’s Department of Foreign Relations.
The Prime Minister and the Canadian ambassador “discussed recent developments in Iraq and the Middle East and their impact on the Kurdistan Region,” a statement on the KRG website read.
During the meeting, Barzani affirmed “the new Kurdistan Regional Government’s commitment to establishing the region as a center of stability and security,” the statement added.
Their meeting occurred, as Baghdad is rocked by protests, which have been ongoing for the past three months. As of this writing, Iraq has only a caretaker prime minister. Adil Abdul Mahdi, who took office following the May 2018 elections, resigned in November to meet protestors’ demands. However, the unrest continues, and a new prime minister has yet to be named.
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Last week, Shannon was among four Western ambassadors, including from Britain, France, and Germany, who were summoned in protest by Iraq’s Foreign Ministry. Over 400 Iraqis have been killed in the demonstrations. The four countries had called on the Iraqi government to ensure that the protestors are protected, particularly against elements of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which have been using lethal force against them.
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In Monday’s meeting in Erbil, “Prime Minister Barzani asserted that the KRG will continue to reinforce trusted relationships with its friends in the West, including through stronger bilateral ties with Canada.” They also discussed ways of further developing ties between the Kurdistan Region and Canada.
Today I welcomed Canadian Ambassador to Iraq @UlricShannon to the Kurdistan Region. The KRG will continue to reinforce our trusted relationships with partners in the West. I look forward to working with the Ambassador to strengthen our bilateral ties. https://t.co/sYqvG9uVce pic.twitter.com/tw1yHE3SMa
— Masrour Barzani (@masrour_barzani) December 16, 2019
The KRG statement welcomed “Canada’s existing support of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.” Prime Minister Barzani “encouraged Ambassador Shannon to further the exchange of knowledge and experience between the two countries, notably around federalism.”
Canada has backed Iraq’s security forces, as well as the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga forces, as a member of the US-led coalition in the war against the so-called Islamic State.
Shannon also met separately with Safeen Dizayee, Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations.
Received Ambassador @UlricShannon @CanadainIraq & Ms @AshleyDurec Erbil Head of Office-Discussed at length the current developments in Kurdistan & Iraq & #KRG‘s international relations policy of strengthening our economic, humanitarian & commercial cooperation for mutual benefit. pic.twitter.com/TNC6QHpJJd
— Safeen Dizayee (@SafeenDizayee) December 16, 2019
The two men discussed “current developments in Kurdistan and Iraq,” as well as the “KRG’s international relations policy of strengthening our economic, humanitarian, and commercial cooperation.”
Editing by Laurie Mylroie