Kurdistan Regional Government Minister Falah Mustafa ‎told members of the British parliament that Kurdistan is an ally with a nascent democracy that Britain should continue to support.

'We are allies of the UK and we are a nascent democracy. We are heading for challenging times and we want Britain to go on this journey with us, ' the Minister told members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Kurdistan Region (APPG).

The discussion was part of a round of meetings in the British parliament last week that included Shadow Middle East Minister Ian Lucas and members of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Minister Mustafa, Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, who was accompanied by Siham Mamand, Assistant Head of the DFR, and Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, the KRG High Representative to the UK, also met Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister of State Hugh Robertson, journalists and think tanks during a three-day visit.

‎At the meeting with the APPG, which is co-chaired by Meg Munn MP and Nadhim Zahawi MP, the minister spoke about the Iraqi elections to be held this month, the budget-war imposed by Baghdad on the KRG, relations with neighbouring countries and the Syrian refugee crisis.

The MPs and peers have visited Kurdistan several times and have lobbied for closer economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries.

APPG members asked the minister a wide range of questions, including on Iran, Turkey, the economic climate in Kurdistan and the possible outcome of the Iraq-wide elections.

Minister Mustafa separately met Ian Lucas, Shadow Minister for the Middle East, who has visited Kurdistan last year.

They discussed the Iraqi elections, the dispute between Baghdad and Erbil over the budget, oil and gas policy and the funding and training of the peshmerga.

They also discussed the conflict in Syria and what the international community could do, for example, to strengthen the opposition and find a vehicle for a ‎diplomatic solution to the conflict.

Minister Mustafa emphasised that Kurdistan looks to the UK as a partner of choice and that the KRG is looking for more high level visits on both sides, more cultural and civic exchanges.

‎The minister also addressed the British parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by Sir Richard Ottaway. Among the committee are Ann Clwyd MP who is an old friend of Kurdistan and former UK Envoy to Iraq on Human Rights, as well as Mike Gapes MP, former head of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

The committee has for the first time launched an inquiry into British government policy towards the Kurdistan Region.‎ Minister Mustafa gave a broad outline of the situation in Kurdistan Region.