Iraq requests removing its name from the high-risk countries

The mission of the Republic of Iraq to the European Union announced today, Wednesday, that Iraq has met all the FATF criteria for removing its name from the list of high-risk countries. 

The mission said in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "Ambassador Abdul Karim Tohma Kaab, head of the European Department, alongside him, the head of the mission of the Republic of Iraq to the European Union, Ambassador Sadiq Al-Rikabi, and Deputy Head of Mission, Minister Plenipotentiary Fadel Al-Rahim, chaired a technical meeting held in the Belgian capital, Brussels. Between the Iraqi team concerned with removing the name of Iraq from the European list of high-risk countries in the field of combating money laundering and terrorist financing and the European team concerned with this file in the European Commission and the Department of External Action. 

"At the beginning of the meeting, Ambassador Abdul Karim gave a speech in which he stressed the importance of Iraq's relations with the European Union and the partnership and cooperation agreement concluded between the two sides, and also touched on the political and security situation in Iraq.". 

Ambassador Abdul Karim added, according to the statement, that "Iraq has managed to overcome many challenges in recent times," noting "the role that Iraq plays in the Middle East region and its aspiration to constructive cooperation with the European Union in all fields and to overcome all obstacles that prevent that." Especially those related to removing his name from the European list of countries with high risks in the field of combating money laundering and terrorist financing. 

For his part, Ambassador Sadiq Al-Rikabi stressed in his speech, "the importance of strengthening the partnership between Iraq and the European Union, and that it is unfair to keep his name on this list, especially since Iraq is still facing the threat of terrorism, and that the technical team answered all inquiries from the European side to complete the final evaluation," stressing "Iraq is looking forward to removing its name from the European list of countries with a high risk in the field of combating money laundering and terrorist financing as soon as possible.". 

The statement continued, "The technical team presented a review of the achievements of the Iraqi system for combating money laundering and terrorist financing, the latest developments in the anti-money laundering and terrorist financing laws, the types of regulatory bodies and their work as the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Council, the Committee for Freezing Terrorist Funds, institutions concerned with combating organized crimes, and the judiciary." The most important achievements of Iraq under the first national strategy to combat money laundering and terrorist financing for the period (2017-2020).