We support Iraq stances towards crisis in Syria: Canadian FM

Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird,who landed in Baghdad in the morning by plane, marking the first trip to Iraq by a Canadian foreign minister since 1976,underscored his country’s support to Iraq’s stances towards the crisis in Syria .

Baird’s remark was made during the meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Monday,according to the CBCnews.

“Today’s opening is a historic milestone in Canadian relations with Iraq and comes at a pivotal moment,” Baird said in a release Monday from the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa. “Ten years after the Iraqi intervention, Iraq is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, despite deep and lingering sectarian tensions.”

Baird spent the morning in meetings with members of the Iraqi parliament. Media reports said he was guarded by heavy security, and his convoy also took him to the compound of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Baird said he recognizes “Iraq is situated at the intersection of intrinsic international security challenges that affect us all.”

He says his meetings in Iraq are driven by the “strong potential” of Canada’s trade and investment interests in Iraq.

“To pursue our interests, we know that Canada needs to be on the ground in Baghdad,” he says.

In early March, Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney made a surprise visit to Iraq to meet with al-Maliki, as well as the country’s migration and environment ministers, to discuss bilateral trade, migration management, political developments in Iraq and  the situation in Syria.

M.D