Barzani: Joint work helped removing Iraq from High-Risk Countries

INA – ERBIL
 
President of the Kurdistan Regional Government - KRG, Masrour Barzani confirmed on Monday, the work of KRG and the government in Baghdad, in recent years, to target sources of terrorist financing and criminal networks, noting that the decision of the European Union to remove Iraq from the list of High-Risk Countries of money laundering was the result of this work.
 
"I welcome the European Union's decision to remove Iraq from the list of High Risks Countries of money laundering," said Barzani in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
 
He added, "KRG and the federal government in Baghdad have worked, in recent years, with our partners in the international community to target sources of terrorist financing and criminal networks, particularly illegal currency auctions and informal financial companies,”
 
"Government reforms, including public finance, services, contract procedures, border crossings, and the transparency of oil sales reviewed by Deloitte, have made us stronger in our war against corruption, as we have strengthened oversight and supervision of our revenues by linking KRG to the global banking system, and now with the increase in looming for financial and investment cooperation from the European Union, reforming and supporting the banking sector will be much easier to provide services to the public,” Barzani added.
 
He noted that "for us in KRG, this is a personal matter, as terrorist gangs of Daesh tried to undermine our way of life, but it failed to do so. For this reason, we put ourselves in the forefront and center of international efforts to root out its sources of funding through the (Anti-Daesh Financing Working Group) of the international coalition,”
 
"We have also made these changes for ourselves and for our future. If we had not made these structural reforms to our economy and tackle illegal trade, we would not have seen this opportunity presented to us with our friends in Europe," Barzani pointed out.
He stated, "This success that we are achieving today, and with Europe's recognition of the joint efforts in Erbil and Baghdad, necessitates us to go further to ensure a bright and prosperous economic future for our children,"
 
"I am confident that we will look back today as a turning point in Kurdistan's march to fold the past, towards a prosperous and peaceful global future for the people of Kurdistan," Barzani concluded.