Strengthening Bilateral Relations Between Canada and the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq

Abstract

The Government of Canada has done an inadequate job of extending economic and diplomatic relations with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). While many Western nations, including our closest ally the United States, have extended relations with the Kurds, the Canadian government is lagging behind. " " The Kurdish Region in Northern Iraq has risen as a beacon of prosperity within an unstable region and volatile country. It is a pro-Western, democratic region with a growing economy. The Kurds have established diplomatic ties with a number of nations around the world. While Canada is beginning to extend ties with the KRG, including through the opening of a Canada Trade Office in the Kurdish capital Erbil, much more can be done to advance bilateral relations between the two governments."