TNT – “Tidbits From TNT” Wednesday Morning 2-21-2024

Tishwash:  The Russian Ambassador’s vision: Iraq and the chances of joining the “BRICS” group

The Russian ambassador to Iraq, Elbrus Kutrashev, said that the opportunity is available to Iraq to join the BRICS countries, and that he is not concerned with the nature of the American response to this decision if Baghdad takes it.

He also spoke with great admiration about the visit of Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani to Moscow (October 2023). He said that he did not expect the visit to be so successful.

Kutrashev, in a televised interview, said, “Russian-Iraqi relations are good and have a long history, and there are no complications, neither from a historical standpoint nor from a current standpoint, and external factors are what complicate these relations. As for the two peoples, we have a good and solid friendship. I am very comfortable with being Russia’s ambassador to Iraq.

He added, “In diplomatic life, it is very difficult to separate personal life from work life, and I intended to choose Iraq as my first diplomatic station, because I love Iraq and my personal life is linked to Iraq. My first son was born in Baghdad in 1999, and bears the name David, so I am Abu David.” “.

He pointed out that “Russia is ready to provide anything that Iraq needs, and we will not hold back on anything that we can provide and give to Iraq, including economic cooperation. The visit of the Sudanese President to Russia was very successful and above all expectations, and I was convinced that the visit would be successful, but not to this.” Al-Hadd, and the visit had a historical dimension and formed a solid base for continuing to develop our relations in all fields.”

Kutrashev stated, “In Iraq, we do not play the game of axes, and we do not look at Iraq as an arena for conflicts with anyone. Iraq is the one who chooses with whom it will develop its relations, and we have no sensitivity towards any country, whether Russia, America, China, or other countries.”

If Iraq wishes to join the BRICS group, there is a joint leadership that is looking into the matter. In fact, we have no agendas against America or others. If Iraq wants, welcome, we will work to help it comfortably, and I do not care about the American response on this issue. link

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Tishwash:  Iraq and Russia are intensifying their cooperation to confront the scourge of corruption

The head of the Federal Integrity Commission, Haider Hanoun, announced the commission’s intention to twin with counterpart institutions in countries around the world, noting the long-standing experience of the Russian public prosecutor in the field of combating corruption and the possibility of transferring expertise from the two institutions and exchanging experiences.

 During his meeting with the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation (Igor Krasnov) in the capital, Moscow, Hanoun renewed the intention of the Iraqi regulatory agencies to partner with their counterparts in the Russian Federation, especially between the Authority and the Russian Prosecution, in addition to concluding a memorandum of understanding between the Iraqi Anti-Corruption Academy and the Public Prosecution University.

Russian, expressing the Authority’s desire to benefit from the experience of the Russian Public Prosecution and its university and to train the Authority’s staff there, in addition to inviting their experts to train and participate as lecturers in studying the professional higher diploma in specializations related to anti-corruption announced by the Academy.
 
For his part, the Russian Attorney General (Igor Krasnov) noted the strengthening of relations between the Republic of Iraq and the Russian Federation and its coincidence with the eightieth anniversary of the beginning of the relationship between the two countries, pointing out that one of the main components of cooperation between countries is unifying efforts in combating the most serious challenges, among which corruption occupies a special place. He stressed that he supports the efforts of the Iraqi Integrity Commission seeking to recover the fugitive defendants and the looted funds wherever they are found.
 
He pointed out that the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the two parties is of great importance in deepening and developing the relationship between the Office of the Prosecutor General in Russia and the Federal Integrity Commission in Iraq, expressing his readiness for further professional dialogue on any issues of common interest, even if they are not stipulated in the memorandum or the program. Cooperation, expressing its pleasure to see employees of the Republic of Iraq in short-term training courses, at its affiliated university, whether among its students or among the participants, welcoming the Authority’s call for Russian prosecution experts to contribute to training its staff in the Iraqi Anti-Corruption Academy.
 
During the meeting, a cooperation program was signed between the two parties, which will serve as a roadmap for implementing the terms of the memorandum over the next two years, which stipulates a full set of activities (workshops, meetings, and training courses). To exchange experiences in the field of international cooperation in the field of combating corruption, recovering the proceeds and proceeds of corruption crimes from abroad, forming national coordination committees to combat corruption, coordinating positions on multilateral international anti-corruption forums, and reviewing experiences in implementing legislation concerned with combating and preventing corruption, including those related to conflicts of corruption. interests, and financial disclosure.
 
The program also stipulated holding a round table meeting on the topic “Using modern digital technologies to combat corruption and holding training courses for the Authority’s employees by representatives of the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation and the Public Prosecution University, as well as exchanging scientific and educational literature, periodicals and methodological materials on the topics of combating and preventing corruption.”  link

Tishwash:  A representative accuses America of standing in the way of the growing Iraqi economy

Today, Wednesday, the representative of the State of Law coalition, Muhammad Al-Shammari, accused the United States of America of obstructing Iraq’s economic openness to international countries.

Al-Shammari told Al-Maalouma, “The United States of America stands as a stumbling block in the way of Iraqi economic growth, through its interventions that obstructed arming the Iraqi army, controlling oil imports through the US Federal Reserve, obstructing reconstruction, and concluding contracts with reputable international companies.”

He pointed out that “America contributed greatly to preventing the arrival of reputable international companies to Iraq.”  link

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CandyKisses: Sudani diagnoses remarks on US sanctions: We will not abandon the private banking sector

 Economy News – Baghdad

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani confirmed the existence of observations about the US Treasury sanctions on Iraqi banks, while pointing to the government’s continued support for the private banking sector.

Al-Sudani said, in a press conference, followed by “Economy News”, that “the government has made an important step to be Iraq’s trade clear despite the challenges that appear from time to time,” adding by saying: “All our trade passes today through the electronic platform and through the audit of the company (K-Two), that is, there are documented financial transfer operations.”

He added, “The decisions issued by the US Treasury on Iraqi banks, which we have more than one observation on, are decisions related to observations on the performance of banks in previous governments, not the current government.”

The Prime Minister stressed that “transactions and financial transfers of Iraqi trade, during the current period, pass through a clear electronic platform, in front of financial institutions, so this process has gained reliability.”

“The government continues to support the private banking sector, and it cannot be abandoned, and we are working to address all observations in its performance, and we are evaluating it to be a partner with us for the desired development process in the country,” al-Sudani said