Iraq signs strategic cooperation agreement with EU's Eurojust

THE HAGUE — Iraq's High Judicial Council signed a strategic working agreement with Eurojust, the European Union's criminal justice cooperation agency, in The Hague, the council said. The accord was signed by Judge Ali Hussein Jawdat, head of the National Center for International Judicial Cooperation, on behalf of the council, and by Eurojust President Michael Schmid for the European side. Judge Jawdat said the agreement represents a step in judicial cooperation between Iraq and European countries, providing advanced mechanisms for tracking terrorism and organized crime. Schmid said cross-border organized crime requires close international cooperation, according to the statement. Under the agreement, mechanisms for information sharing, coordination of investigations and the extradition of wanted individuals will be strengthened. The framework also covers judicial cooperation on cases handled by both Iraqi and European authorities. With the signing, Iraq became the tenth non-EU country to establish a working partnership with Eurojust. No further details on the timeline for implementation were immediately available.