The third meeting of the Cooperation Council of the European Union and Iraq took place in Brussels on Sunday. The meeting was an important occasion for the parties to reiterate the great importance of their close partnership and agreed to enhance further cooperation.

After a pause of seven years, the Cooperation Council, offered the platform to reactivate the highest level of bilateral engagement foreseen under the EU – Iraq Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA). In this context, the Council adopted an EU-Iraq Joint Declaration on sustainable development, green transition, governance, regional connectivity and sustainable finance, and agreed to establish a new EU – Iraq Sub-Committee on Development Cooperation.

The EU and Iraq agreed to further deepen their dialogue and cooperation around five overarching priorities: (i) Trade and Investments (ii) Migration, (iii) Democracy & Human Rights, (iv) Energy and (v) Development Cooperation.

The EU and Iraq are important trading partners, and as such, they will work together to  strengthen bilateral trade relations, investments, including production of renewable energy, and Iraq’s further integration into regional and global value chains. The European Union, in cooperation with European Development Finance Institutions - such as the European Investment Bank (EIB) and potentially the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) – is ready to work closer with Iraq to advance engagement with financial institutions to boost private sector development, including in banking; and improve the investment environment in the country through diversification, sustainability, and inclusiveness.

The discussion also focused on migration. In the framework of Article 105 of the PCA, the EU and Iraq will continue to cooperate on migration, including on matters such as, returns and re-admission; protection and forced displacement; migration governance and management; countering migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings; as well as, sustainable reintegration.

Iraq and the EU committed to promoting democracy, fundamental freedoms and human rights, gender equality, and equal opportunities, as constitutional rights of all their citizens, in line with their international obligations.

The parties also discussed electricity and gas market reforms in Iraq, including the modernisation of the electricity grid. They agreed on the need for action to reduce unnecessary gas flaring and to use the saved gas for domestic electricity production. Noting Iraq’s high vulnerability to climate change and environmental degradation, the EU commended Iraq for its ratification of the Paris Agreement, and encouraged Iraq to follow up on the required steps to implement its Nationally Determined Contribution.

Both sides lauded the excellent cooperation on security matters throughout various tools. Notably, the anti-Da’esh coalition and EUAM Iraq, the civilian CSDP mission which has been assisting the authorities on Security Sector Reform since 2017, upon Iraqi request. 

The EU commended Iraq’s efforts to foster regional dialogue, and welcomed the efforts of the Second Baghdad Conference, as well as Iraq hosting Saudi-Iranian talks, and the increasing trilateral cooperation between Iraq, Egypt, and Jordan. The EU will continue to encourage all actors to engage constructively in pursuit of regional cooperation and to fully respect Iraq’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. 

The meeting was co-chaired by Josep Borrell, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission, and by Fuad Hussein, Iraqi Foreign Minister, in the presence of Ylva Johansson, the Commissioner for Home Affairs, as well as the EU Member States Foreign Ministers.

See remarks by HR/VP Borrell ahead of the meeting here.