The UAE and Ireland signed two bilateral treaties on extradition and mutual legal assistance, according to an Irish government statement. The agreements aim to support “the effectiveness in their cooperation in fighting organized crime and to facilitate extradition.” They follow negotiations between Justice Minister Abdullah Bin Sultan Bin Awad Al Nuaimi and his Irish counterpart Helen McEntee to ramp up bilateral cooperation in criminal justice matters. The treaties now await signoff from the Dáil, the lower house of Irish parliament, to enter into force, according to the BBC.

With the extradition treaty signed, Ireland is expected to formally request the extradition of the leaders of the Irish drug cartel, Kinahan, whose senior lieutenant, Sean McGovern, was arrested by Interpol in Dubai recently, the Financial Times reports. Despite the government freezing the cartel’s assets in the UAE in 2022, Kinahan members are still reportedly present in Dubai.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan vowed to help resolve the conflict in Ukraine during informal talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, Reuters reports. Putin extended his appreciation to the UAE for its recent mediation efforts, which facilitated the ninth UAE-brokered prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine, Wam reports. The two heads of state also discussed strengthening bilateral ties and the situation in the Middle East.

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