The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (“the UK”) and the Italian Republic are strong allies and close partners. We cooperate closely on foreign and security policy and both cherish the values of democracy and human rights. Today we reaffirm our commitment to work together to uphold these values both at home and internationally.
A vital element of this partnership is our cooperation in the field of justice. Justice cooperation matters more than ever in a world where threats to security and the rule of law are increasingly complex and cross-border in nature. Today, we renew our shared ambition to strengthen collaboration in justice for the benefit of our citizens in Italy, the UK and around the world.
We are jointly committed to criminal justice cooperation to protect victims and support the security and prosperity of both nations. We also reaffirm the importance of effective civil and family judicial cooperation to provide certainty and improve justice outcomes for citizens, families and children on both sides.
We recognise serious organised crime both in, and emanating from, prisons as a shared challenge and an area where we can learn lessons and exchange expertise. By working together at a strategic level, we aim to strengthen our collective resilience and enhance the effectiveness of our justice systems.
We are committed to supporting the rule of law domestically and internationally. Our shared support for Ukraine embodies this commitment. We will align our efforts going forward to achieve the best outcomes for Ukraine’s reform and recovery.
We resolve to working together, bilaterally and through multilateral institutions including the Council of Europe and United Nations to ensure our international frameworks are fit to face modern challenges.
As part of this joint commitment, the UK and Italy have today signed a new bilateral Prisoner Transfer Agreement. This agreement will enable effective prisoner transfers between our two countries, improving rehabilitation and reintegration in the offenders’ home States as they serve their sentence and following release. We will work closely together to implement this Agreement swiftly and effectively, ensuring that its provisions deliver on our shared objectives.
This Joint Statement reflects our shared determination to deepen the UK–Italy justice relationship and to deliver tangible benefits for our citizens. We look forward to continued engagement and to building on the strong foundations of trust and cooperation that unite our two countries.