President Masoud Barzani welcomed a prominent Canadian parliamentary delegation on Monday. The officials met at the Barzani Headquarters in the Pirmam district. This area sits just northeast of Erbil. Both sides eagerly reaffirmed their shared commitment to stronger bilateral relations during the talks. Furthermore, they underscored their continued support for the broader Kurdish cause.
The visiting delegation featured prominent Canadian Members of Parliament Ziad Aboultaif and Ahmed Hussen. Notably, Hussen previously served as Canada’s Minister of International Development. During the session, the lawmakers expressed great pleasure in meeting President Barzani. They also strongly reaffirmed the legitimacy of the Kurdish people’s struggle. Consequently, the MPs praised the decades of sacrifice by the Kurdish population. They specifically lauded the Peshmerga forces for their heroic role against ISIS.
The delegation briefed President Barzani on their parliamentary activities in Canada. They highlighted their close coordination with the Kurdistani Diaspora Confederation. This collaboration aims to advance awareness for Kurdish issues across Canada. Meanwhile, the visiting MPs voiced a strong desire to expand cooperation. They want to focus heavily on the economic and technology sectors.
President Barzani expressed deep gratitude to Canada’s people and government. He thanked them for their longstanding military assistance during the anti-ISIS campaign. Moreover, he reiterated his full support for deeper cultural and political ties. He stressed the immense value of broadening cooperation across multiple sectors.
The Canadian Parliamentary Friends of the Kurds operates as an all-party caucus. It officially started in 2016 to foster closer ties with the Kurdish people. Later, Conservative MP Tom Kmiec reactivated the group in late 2025. The caucus previously visited Erbil in 2023 for security talks with Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. Currently, the group advocates for a full Canadian consulate general in Erbil to replace the current embassy office.