Washington, DC, USA (us.gov.krd) – On Thursday, February 25, Representative Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman held a virtual meeting with members of the Canadian parliament to update them on the political, security, economic and humanitarian situation in Kurdistan Region and Iraq.

The virtual meeting was hosted by Ziad Aboultaif, the member of parliament representing Edmonton Manning, Alberta, and chairman of the Canadian Parliamentary Friends of the Kurds. It was attended by members of parliament Tom Kmiec and Arnold Viersen, Senator Yonah Martin, and several parliamentary staff.

Ms. Abdul Rahman briefed the MPs on the rocket attack on Erbil on February 15 and underscored the need for the perpetrators to be held to account while ensuring Kurdistan remains peaceful and stable. She outlined the humanitarian situation in Kurdistan, the upcoming Iraqi elections in October, and the impact of covid-19 on public health and the economy.

Ms. Abdul Rahman thanked Canada for its role as a member of the Coalition to defeat ISIS and its leadership of the NATO Mission in Iraq in 2018-2020. NATO advises on security sector reform and developing Iraq's professional military education institutions.