PM calls on EU to remove Iraq from countries classified as very high risk

INA - Baghdad

Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi called on the European Union to form a committee to remove the name of Iraq from the high-risk countries list.

Al-Kadhimi met the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at the headquarters of the Commission, as part of his official visit to Belgium, according to a statement by the media office of the Prime Minister, received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA). 


Al-Kadhimi indicated, during the meeting, his appreciation of the role of the European Union in committing to the unity of Iraq and its sovereignty over its lands, as well as looking forward to supporting the Union in the field of reconstruction of cities liberated from Daesh and fulfilling the pledges of the Kuwait Donors Conference in 2018, in the field of reviving infrastructure and providing services at a level befitting the Iraqi citizen.

He explained, that "the government is determined to make the early elections that will take place next October and make it a success, and thus looks forward to the European Union's support for these elections in the field of technical support for the Electoral Commission and electoral monitoring and coordination team with the UNAMI mission on completing the international efforts for electoral support that it delegated by UN Security Council,”

PM Al-Kadhimi referred to "the efforts made to remove Iraq's name from the European Commission's list of countries with high risk of money laundering, and his call to form a committee to coordinate between the two parties in this regard, to support the government's efforts in fighting corruption and recovering as well as prosecuting smuggled money in European countries," reiterating "the government's confidence in its reform program by the white sheet,”

He also indicated what it had done in the field of attracting investors and facilitating their work in Iraq, calling on the European Commission to support these steps and support Iraq's trend towards financial and economic reform.

For her part, von der Leyen praised "the economic reforms pursued by the Iraqi government headed by Al-Kadhimi, and considered the white sheet and anti-corruption mechanisms steps as bold reforms that it is important for Iraq to pursue, and also expressed the Commission's support for them,”

She indicated that "the approval of the date of the early Iraqi elections by the government came as a very important step, and it expressed all its willingness to help and that the Commission has taken a decision in this regard,”

Von der Leyen described the Iraqi victory over terrorism as a "great and appreciated act on the European side, and that the European Union will continue to provide support to the Iraqi armed forces,”