Tag: Press Release

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 14 January 2025.

This joint statement was released following the meeting between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP, hosted the Prime Minister of The Republic of Iraq, His Excellency Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani as part of the Iraqi Prime Minister’s official visit to the United Kingdom, from 14-16 January 2025.

Prime Minister Starmer congratulated PM Al-Sudani on the stability and growth that Iraq has enjoyed under his leadership. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the vision of a prosperous, sovereign Iraq through a new partnership focused on trade and investment, deepening educational and cultural ties, as well as tackling security, migration and climate change challenges. This visit re-affirms the UK and Iraq’s commitment to work together on shared regional and global interests and underlines a shared commitment to the long-term strategic relationship.

The Prime Ministers signed a landmark Partnership & Cooperation Agreement (PCA), a wide-ranging treaty on trade and strategic cooperation and agreed a trade package worth up to £12.3 billion, underpinned by a series of export agreements, to bolster the growing trading relationship between the UK and Iraq.

Prime Ministers Starmer and Al-Sudani agreed to develop and further UK-Iraq co-operation on a wide range of sectors, including:

Trade, Economy and Investment

Prime Ministers Starmer and Al-Sudani discussed their shared objective of increasing prosperity and their commitment to an ambitious expansion of UK-Iraq trade and investment.

They agreed to utilise UK private sector expertise on critical water, energy, telecoms and defence infrastructure, and to secure future investment projects in the clean energy, pharmaceutical, logistics, and financial services sectors. This will be supported through a UK Export Finance (UKEF) Memorandum of Cooperation to boost private sector investment and financing in Iraq, signed by the UK Foreign Secretary and Iraqi Foreign Minister. The Prime Ministers welcomed the recently announced agreement between the Government of Iraq and BP for a long-term investment in Iraq.

The Leaders announced a trade and export package of £12.3 billion, over 10 times last year’s total UK-Iraq bilateral trade, consisting of the following UK-led projects in Iraq:

• De-mining: UK Companies have been appointed to remove legacy mines across all of Iraq: a contract worth £330mn.
• Rehabilitation and reconstruction of Al-Qayyarah airbase: UK private sector expertise will deliver the £500mn rehabilitation of Iraq’s Al Qayyarah airbase providing Iraq with air defence coverage and capability for North & West of Iraq.
• Comprehensive Water Project: a UK-led consortium will lead a significant water infrastructure project worth up to £5.3bn in UK exports. This will improve water quality, irrigate agricultural land, and provide clean water in the South and West of Iraq, improving living conditions for millions of Iraqis.
• Basra Water Project: a UK company has been appointed to build large-scale infrastructure for desalination and water processing plants, providing clean water for the 3 million Iraqis in the Basra province. This project is worth up to £3.3bn in UK exports.
• Iraq-Saudi Grid interconnection: UK-made power transmission systems will interconnect the Iraq and Saudi grids, a project worth at least £1.2bn.
• Enhancement of the Iraqi National Grid: GE Vernova will supply and install £82mn worth of power substations to improve Iraq’s electricity grid.
• 5G rollout: Vodafone has been appointed to design the new 5G network planned by the government in a project set to be worth £410mn over twenty years.
• Iraqi Railway project: A UK company will deliver a £82mn construction project to build a new railway in Iraq.
• Hilla Phase 2: a UK company has been appointed to deliver sewage and water processing solutions serving 3 million Iraqis, worth £260mn in exports.
• Baghdad Sanitation Project: a UK company has been appointed to provide up to £655mn worth of water management, and sewage treatment solutions for the Mayoralty of Baghdad.
• Provision of UK Firefighting vehicles: 62 British-made fire-fighting vehicles will be exported to Iraq, in a UKEF-facilitated £27.5mn export.
• Provision of radio communications equipment: UK firms will export £98mn worth of communications technology to provide the Iraqi emergency services with equipment to tackle emergencies and incidents more efficiently across Iraq.
• Border technology: UK companies will provide £66.5mn worth of border security equipment to the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, to make Iraq’s crossings, checkpoints, and airports safer.

The UK is supporting Iraq as it undertakes the bold long-term reforms needed to grow its economy. As a global financial leader, the UK is harnessing expertise to support the establishment of PM Al-Sudani’s high ambition for the Iraq Fund for Development (IFD), Iraq’s first Strategic Investment Fund. The IFD has the potential to support socio-economic infrastructure development projects in Iraq and provide a gateway to the world for attracting private investment.

Defence and Security

Prime Ministers Starmer and Al-Sudani re-affirmed the strong historical UK-Iraq defence and security relationship. Noting that 2025 marks over ten years of the Global Coalition’s military mission in Iraq, both Prime Ministers reflected on the historic successes of the Iraqi Security Forces and the Coalition in achieving the territorial defeat of Daesh in Iraq and honoured the sacrifices made by Iraqi, UK, and other forces in securing this aim.

The Prime Ministers signed the Joint Statement on the Strategic Bilateral Defence Relationship that establishes the basis for a new era in security cooperation and paves the way for a new agreement to reflect the ambition of both countries. This deepens our defence cooperation for the future, including through the provision of UK-Iraq military education exchange, UK advisory support on capability and institutional reform, and the development of defence industrial partnerships. The Defence & Security Joint Statement underlines shared objectives, including counter-terrorism, regional security and stability and a strong and prosperous Iraq. The Prime Ministers Starmer and Al-Sudani jointly highlighted the importance of aviation safety and security standards.

Migration and Organised Immigration Crime

Prime Ministers Starmer and Al-Sudani committed to enhance vital migration cooperation between the UK and Iraq, given the importance of our strategic partnership in disrupting irregular migration upstream, and the significant work being led by the Government of Iraq to provide reintegration support to those returned.

The Prime Ministers agreed the principles of a specific returns agreement that delivers on a joint commitment to ensure those who have no right to be in the UK can be returned swiftly. They discussed the practical next steps on how to do so, building on the Home Secretary’s recent visit, in which landmark agreements set out how the two countries will strengthen border security and enhance law enforcement cooperation to tackle people smuggling organised crime organisations.

Both agreed that the increasingly global nature of organised immigration crime underscores the need to stop people smuggling gangs from putting so many lives at risk and that strengthening the border security of our nations is a key part of this effort – UK private sector expertise plays an important role in this, announcing the provision of police communications equipment, border technology and comprehensive training programmes to Iraq’s Ministry of Interior, ensuring Iraq has state-of-the-art technology and emergency response capability to support our shared objective of strengthening border security, whilst also contributing to UK growth.

Culture and Education

Prime Ministers Starmer and Al-Sudani noted the importance of educational and cultural exchange in building shared opportunities and mutual trust and understanding and acknowledged strong people-to-people connections between the two countries. They discussed Iraq’s history of educational achievement and PM Starmer strongly welcomed Iraq’s investment in international scholarships with PM Al-Sudani announcing a significant scholarship scheme enabling over 2000 Iraqi students to study in the UK. They noted the potential for high-quality teaching, learning and research collaboration between UK and Iraqi universities and academics with a number of high-level agreements being signed with UK Universities. They discussed the importance of English language learning and UK international school qualifications, which unlock opportunities for greater educational and cultural exchange, and recognised the work of UK and Iraqi institutions working to widen access.

Women, Peace and Security

Prime Ministers Starmer and Al-Sudani committed to deepening cooperation on the Women, Peace and Security agenda, with PM Starmer welcoming Iraq’s plans to launch its third National Action Plan and a network of Iraqi women peacebuilders in March 2025. The Prime Ministers agreed on the importance of supporting women-led and women’s rights organisations. They recognised the need for on-going support, justice and accountability for all survivors of Daesh-perpetrated sexual violence, including mothers and their children born of conflict-related sexual violence, and continued efforts to end violence against women and girls. They agreed on the importance of girls completing a quality education and women’s economic empowerment, benefitting all of society.

Climate and Environment

Prime Ministers Starmer and Al-Sudani underlined the importance of working together to tackle climate and environmental issues. The Prime Ministers welcomed the Government of Iraq’s commitment to end flaring of associated gas by 2028, as a part of its transition towards a cleaner energy system, and dry gas venting, that has negative environmental and economic consequences, and the UK’s commitment to clean power by 2030.

The parties signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on Climate Change, the Environment, Energy Transition and the Carbon Economy. This will deepen cooperation on a broad range of climate and environment issues. In particular, it recognises a partnership to enhance co-operation to deliver Iraq’s commitment to end flaring.

Sport Cooperation

The two Prime Ministers underlined the importance of developing sports exchange mutual benefit. The leaders encouraged further contact and development of cooperation over sports affairs and encouraged their sports associations to coordinate their activities and strengthen exchange and cooperation, including in sports science and medicine. The Prime Ministers expressed a strong interest in exchanging visits among sport teams of the two countries.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 13 January 2025.

The UK will benefit from boosts to trade and further cooperation on tackling illegal migration as Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani visits Downing Street.

The UK will benefit from boosts to trade and further cooperation on tackling illegal migration as Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani visits Downing Street today (Tuesday 14 January) for talks with the Prime Minister.

As part of the closer economic relationship being forged today, the Prime Minister and his counterpart will announce an up to £12.3 billion export package, worth around ten times last year’s trade between the UK and Iraq.  This package is underpinned by a series of export agreements which will boost the growing trading relationship between the UK and Iraq, representing significant opportunities for UK businesses and contributing to the government’s mission to deliver economic growth.

The leaders will also discuss a new specific migrant returns agreement between the UK and Iraq. Once in place, the deal will ensure those who have no right to be in the UK can be returned swiftly.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

Today marks a new era in UK-Iraq cooperation, which will deliver mutual benefits from trade to defence, as we continue to work together towards stability in the wider region.

It’s clear that Iraq shares our priority of delivering economic growth and the £12.3 billion export package being unveiled today offers huge opportunities for British businesses, representing a step-change in the trade and investment relationship between our two countries.

Secure borders are a vital foundation of our Plan for Change, so I am also very pleased get started on talks for a bespoke returns agreement between our countries. The deal will help dismantle the people smugglers’ business model by sending the clear message that if you come here illegally, you cannot expect to stay.

The leaders will sign a milestone Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, leveraging UK private sector expertise on water, energy, telecoms, and defence infrastructure to secure future investment projects and major opportunities for British business.

Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds said:

This yet another vote of confidence in Britain. As an open, proud trading nation our trade strategy will build upon deals like this to strengthen our economy. This announcement reflects our evolving bilateral relationship and represents a step forward in our growing trade partnership.

This agreement – a significant £12 billion export package, helped by our UK Export Finance – will give UK and Iraqi business more certainty and help lead to growth and genuine shared benefits for both our economies.

In a further demonstration of how our cooperation with international partners delivers for the UK, the leaders will also mark the export of £66.5 million worth of equipment from the UK to strengthen Iraq’s borders and disrupt smuggling gangs, delivering on the government’s Plan for Change by securing our border and delivering economic growth.

This comes as the government fulfils its pledge deliver the highest rate of removals since 2018 with a surge in returns activity leading to 16,400 people with no right to be in the UK removed. The talks also build on the Home Secretary’s visit to Iraq in November, where she signed agreements including the largest-ever operational package between the UK and Iraq on border security and law enforcement, in order to enhance Iraq’s capability to tackle people smuggling. Today’s talks will strengthen the implementation of this pact.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

When I signed the landmark deal with Iraq in November, it was a clear signal of our commitment to dismantle the criminal smuggling gangs together.

Our world-first security agreement with Iraq is already showing its impact. By strengthening border security with our Border Security Command, enhancing intelligence-sharing, and providing additional funding to support Iraq’s law enforcement capabilities, we’re targeting people smuggling gangs where it hurts.

Today is the next step in ensuring this important partnership with Iraq goes from strength to strength. As a result, we are making it harder for criminals to exploit vulnerable people, and ultimately we are bringing them to justice.

Last week, the UK also launched the world’s first standalone sanctions regime targeting people smugglers. Expected to come into force within the year, the regime will clamp down on illicit financing rings who make huge profits exploiting vulnerable people by facilitating illegal migration.

The meeting with Prime Minister Al-Sudani follows the Prime Minister’s visit to the Gulf in December to support stability in the Middle East and deliver a foundation of security at home.

The Prime Minister will further bolster the UK’s defence relationship with the region today with the signing of a joint statement which will deepen the UK’s cooperation with Iraq a decade on from the establishment of the Global Coalition’s mission in Iraq and Operation Inherent Resolve leading to the territorial defeat of Daesh.