Mission of the Republic of Iraq to the European Union Participates in the Technical Meeting of Expert Group on Removing Iraq from the European List of High-Risk Countries in the field of Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing

 The Ambassador Abdul Karim Tohma Kaab, the head of the Europe Department, have presided with the head of the mission of the Republic of Iraq to the European Union, Ambassador Sadiq al-Rikabi, and his Deputy, Minister Plenipotentiary Dr Fadel al-Rahim, a technical meeting which has been held in the Belgian capital, Brussels, between the Iraqi team concerned with removing 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 External Action Service EEAS.

At the beginning of the meeting, Ambassador Abdul Karim Toh’ma Kaab delivered a speech in which he emphasized the importance of the relations between Iraq and the European Union, and the partnership and cooperation agreement concluded between the two sides. He also touched upon the political and security situation in Iraq, adding that Iraq has managed to overcome many challenges recently, pointing to the role that Iraq plays in the Middle East region and its aspiration for constructive cooperation with the European Union in all fields and overcoming all obstacles that prevent this, especially those related to removing Iraq from the European list of countries with high risks in the field of combating money laundering and terrorist financing.

On his part, the Ambassador Sadiq Al-Rikabi confirmed in his speech the importance of enhancing the partnership between Iraq and the European Union and that it is unfair to keep its name on this list, especially since Iraq is still facing the threat of terrorism, and that the Iraqi technical team answered all the inquiries of the European side to complete the final assessment, affirming that 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 technical team then reviewed the achievements of the Iraqi system for combating money laundering and terrorist financing, the latest developments in the laws against money laundering and terrorist financing, the types of supervisory authorities and their work such as the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Council, the Committee of Freezing Terrorist Funds, institutions concerned with combating the organised crimes, the judiciary, and the most important achievements of Iraq under the first national strategy to combat money laundering and terrorist financing for the period (2017-2020).

 They later discussed the observations and inquiries of the European side regarding the information provided by the Iraqi side on criminalization laws, the number of convictions, the type of penalties of perpetrators of money laundering and terrorist financing, banks’ procedures in respect of customer due diligence and the international cooperation in the field of combating money laundering and terrorist financing.

At the end of the meeting, Ambassador Abdul Karim Toh’ma Kaab affirmed Iraq’s aspiration to remove its name from the European list of countries with the risk in the field of combating money laundering and terrorist financing, especially since Iraq met all FATF standards and provided the European side with all the documents it requested, which proves its fulfillment of all European standards.