Foreign Affairs

Integrity Commission and Chinese Oversight Commission sign MoU on anti-corruption and extradition


The Federal Integrity Commission and the Chinese Oversight Committee signed a memorandum of understanding today, Wednesday, in the field of combating corruption, pursuing wanted persons, and recovering assets.

The head of the commission, Judge Haider Hanoun, stressed during the signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding, according to a statement by the commission, that “one of the important principles for cleansing institutions from the filth of corruption is supporting and strengthening the oversight agencies and enabling them to combat this scourge,” noting that “the government of Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has placed combating corruption at the top of its priorities, realizing that corruption is the most dangerous factor that repels investment.”

He added that “the agreements and signing of memoranda of understanding between Iraq and China are very important, since the Chinese side invests in several sectors in Iraq and its companies need a safe environment for investment free from extortion and br
ibery,” noting “the Iraqi government’s support for openness to Chinese institutions to include it within the state’s policies open to China and urging the conclusion of understandings with it, especially in the economic aspect.”

He added that “the Commission needs the expertise of the Chinese National Supervisory Committee, and to benefit from its experience in the field of combating corruption and supporting and enhancing the expertise of the Commission’s employees, and supporting the Republic of Iraq in its serious steps towards digital transformation by training the staff of the Iraqi supervisory bodies, and developing their expertise in this field,” stressing “the importance of cooperation and coordination of positions in international forums, especially in the field of recovering funds and extraditing wanted persons.”

For his part, the Deputy of the Chinese National Supervisory Committee, Fu Kui, according to the statement, called on the Iraqi side “to work together to contribute to the Belt and Road I
nitiative (Silk Road), and to ensure providing a transparent and clean work environment, and to try to harmonize the Belt and Road Initiative for development, noting that the relationship between China and Iraq is a strategic relationship and is in continuous development,” praising “the outcomes of the summit that brought together the Chinese and Iraqi leaderships on the sidelines of the Arab-Chinese Partnership Conference.”

He stressed that “China is keen to implement the understandings reached by President Xi Jinping with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, and to deepen the level of the relationship and partnership between the two countries, hoping that the cooperation between the Iraqi Integrity Commission and the Chinese National Oversight Committee will contribute to enabling them to strike the corrupt and limit the effects of the cross-border scourge of corruption,” concluding his speech “by presenting an offer to the Iraqi Integrity Commission to send students to study and benefit from the traini
ng program in the field of combating corruption held in China.”

Source: National Iraqi News Agency