Iraq and Italy discuss combating corruption and expanding joint cooperation

The Head of the Federal Integrity Commission, Mohammed Ali al-Lami, stressed on Wednesday the importance of intensifying national and international efforts to promote integrity and transparency, and expanding cooperation and expertise exchange among counterpart oversight bodies, while the Italian Ambassador to Iraq, Niccolò Fontana, expressed his country's readiness to strengthen collaboration with Iraqi regulatory agencies. A statement by the commission indicated that al-Lami noted, during his meeting with the Italian ambassador, the significance of international efforts aimed at curbing corruption risks, particularly within the framework of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, which Iraq joined under Law No. 35 of 2007. Al-Lami emphasized the necessity of activating the convention's provisions related to corruption prevention, criminalization, law enforcement, legal assistance, and international cooperation in recovering assets and fugitives. The head of the commission expressed his aspiration to forge stronger relations with anti-corruption bodies in Italy, enhance communication with the financial police to benefit from their expertise, and seek the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Italian National Anti-Corruption Authority. Al-Lami also invited Italian companies and the business sector to enter and invest in the Iraqi market, highlighting ongoing efforts to establish a secure investment environment protected from corrupt practices, foremost of which are extortion and bribery. For his part, the Italian ambassador pointed to the heavy financial and economic losses inflicted by corruption on the global economy and various sectors, expressing the readiness of Italian regulatory bodies to bolster cooperation with their Iraqi counterparts, particularly in developing legislative frameworks to combat corruption, providing legal assistance in recovering funds and fugitives, and exchanging expertise and developing staff capabilities.