Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani met Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen in Baghdad on Sunday to broaden bilateral cooperation on security and development, with talks touching on counterterrorism coordination as Iraq presses ahead with the transfer of Islamic State detainees from Syria into Iraqi custody.
In a statement, al-Sudani’s media office said the two discussed expanding partnerships spanning development, economics, and technology, including exchanges of expertise linked to sustainable development. Iraqi officials also emphasized stronger security cooperation, focusing on practical areas such as police training, intelligence sharing, and the use of modern security technologies.
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The meeting came as Iraq continues to position itself as a central actor in regional counterterrorism efforts following the territorial defeat of the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. The group has continued to pose a security challenge through insurgent activity, while tens of thousands of detainees and family members linked to the group remain in camps and detention sites in northeastern Syria.
On the question of detainee transfers, al-Sudani said “transferring Islamic State (IS) prisoners from Syria to Iraq is a sovereign decision aimed at protecting regional and global security,” and he called on other countries to take responsibility for their nationals. He urged the international community “to receive foreign IS detainees and bring them to justice.”
Rantanen, according to the Iraqi statement, reaffirmed Finland’s interest in deepening relations and said Helsinki is prepared to explore additional areas of cooperation based on shared interests.
Iraq’s National Center for International Judicial Cooperation reported Friday that 5,704 Islamic State detainees had been transferred from Syrian prisons to Iraqi custody, a development likely to intensify discussions over prosecution frameworks, prison capacity, and burden-sharing by countries whose citizens are among the detainees.