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French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani at the Elysee Presidential Palace, in Paris, on January 26, 2023. Photo: Christophe Archambault/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Thursday arrived in France’s capital Paris for a one-day visit, signing a set of strategic agreements meant to boost Iraq's cooperation with the European country in various fields.
Sudani first met with France's Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, and was later received by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace.
"I just signed the Strategic Partnership Agreement with my friend Mr. Macron, which sets a roadmap for expanding the horizons of cooperation between our two countries in various fields," read a tweet from the Iraqi PM following his reception by the French president.
The signings of a bilateral memorandum of understanding in combating corruption and recovering stolen Iraqi money, and a joint declaration on cultural heritage and antiquities maintenance are some of the points on the agenda of the Iraqi premier and his accompanying delegation.
In addition to the government officials, the Iraqi PM will also meet with representatives of French companies “related to developing transport sectors through activating vital transport projects.”
Macron in December attended the second edition of the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership in Jordan, which aimed at providing support for Iraq’s stability and security.
An investigation by the Iraqi finance ministry in October concluded that $2.5 billion in tax funds were stolen from the General Commission of Taxes’ account at Baghdad's Rafidain Bank between September 2021 and August 2022, during the tenure of former finance minister Ali Allawi.
Sudani has repeatedly stated that retrieving the stolen money was a top priority for his cabinet, vowing to hold the perpetrators accountable.
One of the case’s main suspects, Noor Zuhair Jassim, was released on bail in late November to facilitate the payment of over $1.1 billion -which he had admitted to embezzling- within two weeks. Nearly two months later, only $216 million of the stolen tax funds has been announced retrieved.
Updated at 10:57PM.
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