Image copyright Reuters Image caption Catherine McKenna said sexist comments would not stop women taking part in politics

Canada's environment minister has apologised after a tweet from her account praised Syria for signing the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Catherine McKenna says the now-deleted tweet was "clearly a mistake" and condemned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in the war-torn country.

"Canada Salutes Nicaragua and Syria for joining on to the Paris Agreement!" the original tweet said on Tuesday.

Ms McKenna tweeted out an apology following online backlash.

"Clearly a mistake was made from my Dept twitter. We've been clear that the murderous Assad regime must end attacks against its people," she tweeted from her personal account, @cathmckenna.

The mistake was made on her official departmental account, @ec_minister.

Syria and Nicaragua have joined the accord, which unites the world's nations in tackling climate change, leaving the US to abstain.

In June the US said it would withdraw, but the rules of the agreement state that this cannot be done until 2020.

Ms McKenna, who is a member of Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party, made headlines earlier this month after slamming a Canadian reporter at a right-wing news outlet for repeatedly calling her "Climate Barbie".

The insult has been lobbed at her before from an opposition MP.

"The reason I'm asking you not to do this is because I have two daughters. There are lots of girls that want to get into politics and it is completely unacceptable that you do this," she told Rebel Media reporter Christopher Wilson.