The European Union and Iraq have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen bilateral cooperation and discussed a number of human rights, democracy and governance related topics in a spirit of partnership, at their 4th Sub-committee meeting on Human Rights and Democracy.
A statement by the European External Action Service Monday said the meeting which was held on 11 July in Brussels, welcomed progress by Iraq on several topics and the commitment of the Iraqi government to remain engaged in the process of implementing the necessary reforms.
The EU welcomed the adoption of the Yazidi Survivors Law, called for the implementation of the Sinjar Agreement and reiterated its position on hate speech, including as regards the recent deplorable burning of a Quran in Europe.
The EU and Iraq also discussed cooperation in multilateral human rights fora, noting Iraq’s constructive stance at the Universal Periodic Review and its candidacy for Human Rights Council membership in 2026-2028.
The EU encouraged the implementation of the Government’s reform program and expressed its continued support to Iraq in building strong institutions and good governance, with solid legal and policy structures.
Exchanges also covered the Iraqi Government’s efforts to fight corruption, a shared priority, identifying the need for a follow-up discussion on the external dimension of the EU anti-corruption package, said the statement.
On its part, Iraq stated its commitment to respecting the principles of human rights and the equality among Iraqis, regardless of gender, race or religion.
In this regard, Iraq reiterated its position on hate speech and considered the burning of the holy Quran as a provocative act. Iraq reaffirmed the right to life, security, freedom, equal opportunities and the right to fair trial.
Iraq stressed the Government’s commitment to implementing its reform program, which focuses on economy alongside security, with the fight against corruption featuring as the key priority across all sectors.
The EU and Iraq agreed to continue strengthening their partnership through the implementation of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, it added.
Source: Kuwait News Agency
