Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani, urged cooperation between his country and Britain in the realm of cross-border crimes, especially focusing on the retrieval of funds and the extradition of individuals wanted by the Iraqi judiciary on corruption charges.
During his reception of the British Minister of State for Security, Tom Tugendhat, and his accompanying delegation on Monday, Al-Sudani emphasized “the importance of collaborating with the British side in combating cross-border crimes related to smuggling, human trafficking, drug trade, and narcotics, in addition to recovering assets and individuals sought by the Iraqi judiciary in corruption cases,” according to a statement from the Iraqi government.
He stated that “fighting corruption is a public demand, given that corruption doesn’t just end in Iraq but extends to threaten all countries worldwide.”
Al-Sudani clarified that “the Iraqi government has prepared a national strategy to combat human trafficking in Iraq from 2023 to 2026, and a national strategy to combat drugs and narcotics for the period from 2023 to 2025, with Iraq making significant efforts to combat these scourges.”
Al-Sudani also mentioned that “the government welcomes the signing of the intended joint declaration between the Iraqi and British Ministries of Interior and the draft memorandum of understanding between the two countries, praising the support of the United Kingdom for Iraq and its stand in the war against the terrorist organization ISIS.”
On his part, Tugendhat expressed Britain’s readiness to support the Iraqi security forces and equip them with modern technologies to back the Iraqi security apparatus in counterterrorism efforts, eradicate ISIS, and achieve security stability in Iraq.
During the meeting, both sides discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in all fields, especially security, military, counterterrorism, and anti-corruption efforts.
