Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the CFSP, to Meet Nouri Al-MALIKI, Prime Minister of Iraq

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Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the CFSP, to Meet Nouri Al-MALIKI, Prime Minister of Iraq COUNCIL OF Brussels, 15 April 2008 THE EUROPEAN UNION S133/08 Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the CFSP, to meet Nouri Al-MALIKI, Prime Minister of Iraq Wednesday, 16 April 2008 Javier SOLANA, European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), will have a working lunch with Nouri Al-MALIKI, Prime Minister of Iraq, on Wednesday, 16 April 2008. Mr Maliki will be accompanied by the Foreign Minister, Hoshyar Zebari, and the Minister for Oil, Dr. Hussain Al-Shahristani. The meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss recent developments in Iraq and the region, as well as EU-Iraq relations. ° ° ° +/- 12:55 Photo opportunity before the start of the meeting. ______________ Attached: Background note on the EU Rule of Law Mission for Iraq (EUJUST LEX) FOR FURTHER DETAILS: Spokesperson of the Secretary General, High Representative for CFSP +32 (0)2 281 6467 / 5150 / 5151 / 8239 +32 (0)2 281 5694 internet: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/solana e-mail: [email protected] EU COUNCIL SECRETARIAT ~BACKGROUND~ EU RULE OF LAW MISSION FOR IRAQ IRAQ/06 April 2008 • The EU is conducting an Integrated Rule of Law Mission for Iraq - "EUJUST LEX" - since July 2005 following a decision by the EU Council on 21 February 2005. EUJUST LEX falls under the scope of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). • EUJUST LEX consists of integrated training in the fields of leadership, criminal investigation and a range of specialised subjects for senior officials from the judiciary, the police and the penitentiary in order to promote an integrated criminal justice system in Iraq. It also coordinates "work experience secondments" for Iraqi criminal justice professionals to work alongside their EU counterparts. • EUJUST LEX is meeting its training objectives beyond expectations: to date 1450 judges, investigating magistrates, judicial investigators, senior police and penitentiary officials participated in over 60 integrated and single disciplinary training courses in 18 EU Member States. Nearly all EU Member States are currently involved in offering training or support to the Mission in its training programme for Iraqis. • All training interventions take place within the EU. The mission has a liaison office in Baghdad and a coordination office in Brussels. The arrangements for this mission are determined in close partnership with the Iraqi authorities and complement other international efforts in Iraq. • Welcoming the mission's achievements, the Council extended EUJUST LEX for a period of 18 months on 12 June 2006 until 31 December 2007, in response to Iraqi needs and requests, and again on 25 September 2007 for a further 18 month-period taking operations up to June 2009. P R E S S Rue de la Loi 175 B – 1048 BRUSSELS Tel.: +32 (0)2 281 6467 / 8239 / 8348 / Fax: +32 (0 )2 281 5694 [email protected] - http://www.consilium.europa.eu/esdp • EUJUST LEX continues to offer integrated and single disciplinary courses as well as "work experience secondments" (WES) that meet the specific needs of the Iraqi criminal justice sector in respect to establishing the rule of law and protecting human rights. Through evaluating past training interventions, the mission continues to facilitates highly practical courses and WES while aiming to achieve gender balance and geographical representation in each training intervention. • Stephen White has been the Head of the EUJUST LEX Mission since its establishment in March 2005. • An amount of EUR 21.2 million from the EU budget is allocated to cover the common costs of the mission for from March 2005 through June 2008. In addition, EU Member States continue providing training interventions, trainers and nationally seconded experts to EUJUST LEX. www.consilium.europa.eu/eujust-lex _________________ 2 .
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